Protector? Me?
by Elelith
Summary: Harry goes back in time to Marauder's era incognito story. Trying to bring twists to a cliched plot. Will include Snape, people from the future following Harry, two Voldemorts running around and Bellatrix. Trying to stay faithful to most characters. Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1: Innocent Until Proven Guilty

**Summary: **Harry goes back in time to Marauder's era incognito story. Trying to bring twists to a cliched plot. Will include Snape, people from the future following Harry, two Voldemorts running around and Bellatrix. Trying to stay faithful to most characters.

_Beta-ed by the wondrous __TMI-HP-HON-Tlvr_

**Chapter 1: Innocent Until Proven Guilty**

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows p.595:

"_So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. _

"_Does the wand in your hand know that its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does … I am the true master of the elder wand."_

_A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them, as an edge of dazzling sun appeared above the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur. Harry heard the high voice shriek as he, too, yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco's wand:_

"_Expelliarmus!"_

"Deathero Infinitis"

A large crack resounded in the great hall, as if the matter of the universe itself was being torn apart. The onlookers were swept down by a mighty gale; when all turned silent and they looked back up to the centre of the great hall, Harry Potter and Voldemort had vanished, replaced by a lightning shaped incision carved into the floor itself.

Harry opened his eyes, looking at himself in wonder. He seemed to be floating in nothingness, a warm light bathing him. He remembered Voldemort's curse enveloping him, a curse he had never heard of. And now he seemed to be in a limbo, neither here nor there. Was he finally dead? Had his luck run out? And strangely, for the second time that night, Harry felt himself accepting the inevitable. His friends were safe: Voldemort would be overpowered by the multitude in the hall and his lack of supporters, the horcruxes were gone, and the elder wand's power should vanish with him. All was well. Harry closed his eyes as he felt himself letting go, floating. He would see his parents, Sirius, and Remus; as images of them filled his brain; Harry heard another crack and suddenly found himself lying face-down back in the Great Hall.

His defenses kicking in, he leapt up, all the bones in his body groaning in protest. But the Great Hall seemed empty; there was no one in sight. Harry gazed suspiciously around him, his phoenix tail feather gripped tightly in his hand. What in the world was happening? Suddenly, he spied motion on his right and Voldemort stood up. The elder wand was raised right at him as Voldemort eyed him with hatred and mistrust.

"What have you done, boy?" Harry looked, bewildered, at Voldemort.

"I-You didn't cause this Tom?"

Suddenly Voldemort laughed, a high pitched shriek which seemed to grind against Harry's ears.

"You have no idea what you just did?" He approached slowly, and Harry stood his ground.

"What did you curse me with?"

"I banished us into a magical limbo. Seeing as my wand cannot kill you, at least I would have had the satisfaction of taking you with me." At this his nostrils flared and his voice turned silky.

"But I have, once again, underestimated you, Potter. Before the limbo could turn corporeal, you moved us back."

"You lie, where is everyone then?"

"Limbo is apart from space and time. You seem to have brought us back to the where, but then, the when even I do not know yet. We could be years in the future." Voldemort's voice had turned dark with pleasure and Harry had to ask:

"Even if I believe you, why are you telling me this?"

"Because this is perfect, because I want you to know how you will suffer."

"Wha–"

"Whichever time we are in, I swear I will not let you escape it. I will kill and torture everyone in this time who is close to you, whether I find your ancestors or descendants. I will have, essentially, killed the boy who lived."

Harry felt his determination rise. "I will not let you do so, Voldemort. You are powerless here. Even your wand will not attack me, so what will you do? All whom I care about are safe, away from this time."

At that moment the hall doors opened, and in strode Dumbledore. Harry gasped – he couldn't help it. He was facing Dumbledore, after all, a Dumbledore who had whipped out his wand and was pointing it straight at them.

"Well, well, what is going on here? Death Eaters invading Hogwarts?"

"Professor!"

Dumbledore raised his wand, peering through his glasses coldly. "Masquerading as a student will not work with me." Then Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Lord Voldemort, or Tom, if I may say, in person! Have you really fallen so low as to use children in your acts of evil?"

Voldemort laughed, but he kept his wand directed to Harry as Harry to him. "See boy, I will start all over again. Lord Voldemort survives everywhere. And once you have realized the futility of trying to escape me, you will join me."

Harry was still gazing at Dumbledore, conflicting emotions warring. "I have defeated you before, and I will again. Shall we continue our duel?"

Voldermort hissed in anger. "Do you really think I will foolishly fight now, boy? You will never get the wand from me."

Then, waving his wand at the glass window, he blew it up and rose through the air, vanishing into the first rays of the sun.

Harry turned around to a – for the first time – stunned Dumbledore. Lowering his wand and raising his other hand, he said weakly, "Innocent until proven guilty?" With that he fell to the floor, succumbing to the void.

Dumbledore looked at the raven haired boy and felt conflicted. Then, picking him up, he walked out to the infirmary, sighing, "Any enemy of Voldemort must be our ally." 


	2. Chapter 2: I Will Protect Them

_Beta-ed by the wondrous __TMI-HP-HON-Tlvr_

**Chapter 2: I Will Protect Them**

Harry Potter, the boy who lived, woke up to a splitting headache. It felt as if the world was compressing onto his head, and opening his eyes was not something he wanted to do. Besides, the bed he was in was warm and felt safe.

At that moment, all the events of the last days came rushing back. He sat up suddenly, opened his eyes, and felt a wave of dizziness. A hand in the peripheral of his vision steadied him back onto the cushions,

"Easy there. From what Madam Pomfrey says, you are in no condition to be up."

Harry instinctively relaxed at the sound of Dumbledore's voice. Holding a hand to his pounding head, a combination of his scar throbbing and his head paining, he tatted around, reaching for his glasses. Once he had put them on, he could finally see clearly. He saw white beds and a small woman bustling around out of earshot.

"Ah, the infirmary. Of course."

He then looked back quietly into Dumbledore's blue eyes.

"I assume you have questions. I will do anything to prove I am not on Lord Voldemort's side, but there are many things I cannot talk about for fear of repercussions."

"Then you will not object to talking to a few ministry officials?"

Harry's eyes snapped to Dumbledore's face.

"I will not. I will be powerless to stop them from poking into my personal experiences and knowledge is a dangerous thing.'

"My dear boy, that puts me in a difficult position; I cannot allow you to stay here if I do not know whether you will endanger my students, regardless of the fact that you seem to be against Lord Voldemort. Now who are you? I will need answers, otherwise I must hand you over to the Ministry of Magic. I just wished we could do it the polite way.'

Harry shivered at the threat in a man he had considered as a mentor and had trusted implicitly.

"Professor Dumbledore…I-I wish I could. I will answer your questions without any legilimency performed on me. But first, could we go to your office? I cannot speak here."

Dumbledore regarded him with no expression on his younger face before getting up.

"Do you need help?"

Harry shook his head as he slid slowly out of the bed. The loud protestations of Madam Pomfrey had him whirling around, his hand flashing into his robes.

Dumbledore said, "Pomfrey, do not worry; I have heard all your ministrations. I will take care of him, physically." Then turning to Harry he said, "I took the liberty of removing your wand. I have questions about that too."

Harry was only half listening, his breath heaving. He walked painfully to the door, then, turning to Dumbledore, he asked, "Are you coming?"

They walked silently, Harry slightly in front, making it obvious he knew exactly where the office was. Fortunately, the castle was empty – probably the holidays, Harry thought – and they did not meet anyone until they reached the headmaster's office. Once safely inside, Harry looked around with interest. Not much was different, the spindly objects that had been, or were to be, on Dumbledore's desk were less in number, the sorting hat was on a carved shelf. Then he spotted Fawkes, probably just reborn; he looked quite miserable in his few feathers.

"Fawkes!" He walked a few steps then winced. He could see how that sounded. Turning around into the deep blue eyes of Dumbledore he started. "The reason I am afraid of talking about anything is because, well… what year are we in?"

"1st of September, 1977" Dumbledore replied, his eyes widening at the implication of Harry's questions.

Harry gasped. "So far! Are there any Weasleys or Potters alive? No wait, let me explain first, Professor. I, until this dawn, was more than 30 years in the future. I was dueling Voldemort, he threw some spell at me, and then I woke up here."

Harry did not look up to Dumbledore. He was pacing, reeling with the fact that he was more than 30 years in the past. How could he manage? What would Ron and Hermione or anyone think?

"You expect me to believe you based on that."

Harry looked at him in surprise, "No, of course not! Ask me anything about you. We were really close at one point, and I know much; I had to, you were the one who taught me."

Dumbledore looked at him silently, not speaking. Harry sighed; this was going to be harder than he thought.

"You are the greatest wizard of my time; probably of this one, too, if you have already defeated Grindelwald. You are the school headmaster –"

"Facts known to everyone."

'You were best friends with Grindelwald, you wanted to find the three hallows but he- he killed your sister, Arianna. You told me when you look at the mirror of Erised you see yourself holding a pair of thick, woolly socks but you probably see your family, too. You made Sna – no, I don't think that happened yet. You were the only professor wary of Tom Riddle when he was young. He asked you for a post at school but you knew there was another reason he came. Is that enough?"

Dumbledore had turned white while Harry talked.

"How? How would you? I would never tell anyone –"

"I know. But things change, I needed to know many things."

"I believe you."

"I wouldn't blame you if you didn't. I'd have thought it was black magic. I just show up unannounced with Voldemort. My god."

"What is wrong?"

"You already have one; I mean, he's already here, isn't he? Voldemort. So now…" Harry put his face into his hands. "What have I done?"

"Let us start at the beginning. What is your name, and why were you fighting Lord Voldemort? Surely the world has not come to children fighting Lord Voldemort?"

"Professor, my name is Harry P – Harry. I can't tell you my last name, it could change everything."

Dumbledore smiled even though his eyes continued to gaze at him seriously.

"I assume you are a Potter? Those features are not easily mistakable."

"Y-Yes, I am. So there are Potter's in this time?"

"Oh yes. Now, what spell did Voldemort use on you?"

"Deathero Infinitis."

Dumbledore looked blankly. "That is not a spell I have ever heard of. It must be dark magic if it is so powerful."

"Well, he used the elder wand when he cast it, but Voldemort said that I was the one who brought us here; I don't understand that, I didn't perform any spell. What am I going to do? What will they think? Hermione and Ron, I need to go back, now. The wizarding world will be in turmoil. They need me!"

"Calm down –"

"I can't calm down. I cannot do anything. Already by telling you I have changed something in my time. What can I do without affecting everything?"

"It is too late for that." Dumbledore said heavily, "If what I have understood is correct, we have a second Lord Voldemort running around here. He already will change everything; you can only try to counteract the change he will render to this time."

Harry started laughing a hysterical, high laugh. "After all this, I am stuck in a nightmare of past with Lord Voldemort. He was right; he did kill the boy who lived. For I cannot go back without him. And he is much more powerful here."

"Harry Potter, I am full of questions I shouldn't ask. Such as why you have Fawkes' feather in your wand or why you are fighting Voldemort. Don't worry, I will stop prying," he said, looking at Harry's face, "But meanwhile we need a plan of action. What are you going to do while I try to research the spell Voldemort used on you?"

Harry looked blankly at him. "What I am going to do….Professor, I need to protect them, all of them, anyone who is related to my current friends. Voldemort warned me he would torture me by killing them."

"Well I am sure we can get highly trained aurors onto this."

"No. It has to be me. I am needed to negate everything Voldemort does. The aurors would want to know about the situation and I cannot tell them. Besides, whatever they are doing they're supposed to be doing. If you pull them out you will change too much. And that will affect the future beyond me and Voldemort."

"But are you sure you can do this?"

"Oh, yes, Dumbledore. This is what I have been doing for the past seven years. Besides, I can count on your help. Tom has not changed much. He is still scared of you and does not know about love."

"Very well, then, I suppose we will have to enroll you at Hogwarts. You look too young to be a teacher; besides, our last post, Defense Against the Dark Arts, just got taken. I assume you went to Hogwarts?"

Harry smiled sadly. "Yes I did, I left before I could finish my last year."

"Perfect, you will enroll as a late student from Durmstrang or Beauxbaton and you can watch over them. I will give you medication for the pain for the next few days or Madam Pomfrey will have my neck."

"But professor, I can't, I mean I don't have anything with me except my wand. What about books and supplies? I can't even access my Gringotts account!"

"I will arrange for everything; I am sure my future self would – I mean, will do the same thing. Now do you need a list of students so you—"

"No, I am sure I will recognize them, or the family names at least. Now, when does the school term start?"

"Tonight; you were asleep for two days."

"I will protect them, Professor."

Dumbledore scrutinized the black-haired youth in front of him, with green eyes that were too old for his face.

"I know." 


	3. Chapter 3: A Lone Gryffindor and a Newbi

Okay, this is the second part of the previous chapter, I just separated it into two different parts....

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**Chapter 3: A Lone Gryffindor and a Newbie**

Dumbledore looked calmly at the four tables in front of him, the students all young and full of energy. It sometimes made him feel so old.

'Now, now, welcome to another year at Hogwarts, the sorting of the first years is done and I shall repeat what some of our seniors should do well to remember: The forbidden forest is named so for a reason, and our caretaker Filch has put a set of rules in place, which can be accessed in his office. ' he looked pointedly at the Gryffindor table at that.

' I am proud to announce that we have a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Eiran Wrought.' There was a smattering of applause for the new professor, a grey haired scarred thin man. Now before we start the sumptuous feast prepared, I have one more announcement.'

At that moment the great hall doors opened silently to reveal a lone figure in the entrance. Harry felt the eyes of everyone in the great hall swivel onto him as he walked between two of the house tables. His robes were still torn and bloodstained, his locks had grown long during the time travel, so his hair-now changed blonde at Dumbledore's instance- hid his eyes partly.

'Ah yes, Mr Harry Infinitus is joining us for his seventh year, Harry reached the front table, keeping a bored indifferent face as he recognized teachers who looked much younger than usual.

'I believe we will have to sort you Harry,' Harry looked into Dumbledore's understanding twinkle in his eyes and sighed, sitting on the stool reserved for the first years. Dumbledore placed the hat on his head amid general whispering at the unusual fact of accepting a student so late.

'Aaah, Mr Potter, well, well, this makes things interesting. So what house shall we put you in?'

'You already know hat,'

My, my, I don't think I have a choice, a few years ago I would have put you in Slytherin, but I see you have shown again and again you are a true GRYFFINDOR.'

Harry sighed with relief, he didn't know what he would have done if he had been put in Slytherin, gingerly taking off the hat amid the applause of Gryffindor table, he patted his slightly longer blond hair onto his forehead, hiding the scar.

'Well, off you go, now may the feast begin.'

Harry walked towards the familiar table which hadn't changed much.

Sitting down amid the laughing students, he looked at the food, not feeling hungry at all. Picking a goblet of punch, he sipped quietly.

'So which school did you go to before here, Harry right?'

Harry turned around slowly to face a beautiful red headed girl and spewed his drink down his robes. A beautiful red headed girl that would be his mother was looking at him.

'Wh-aat!'

Lily looked at him alarmed.

'I asked which school you went to.'

'Dumstrang- didn't like it'

Inside his mind he was reeling, his mother was here, he needed to protect his mother from Voldemort. When he had envisioned protecting people, he had imagined Weasleys and maybe a Longbottom. But Lily, his face turned white at the thought.

'Harry are you ok?'

'Ye-eah, I just, you look like someone I knew, it … surprised me.'

Lily laughed, 'Really? Gosh, I don't know a lot of redheads, I mean apart form the Weasleys, you won't feel so much out of place here then. I'm Lily Evans by the way, seventh year Head Girl.'

'Oh Lily, already bragging about that?'

Lily blushed as a vivacious blonde interrupted from the other side of the table.

'And I'm Alice Hart, The Head Girl's best friend.'

Harry turned to smile but it died on his lips as he saw a younger version of Neville's mother. He gave a watching Dumbledore a pained smile as Lily threw a potato chip at her. Alice dodged it and said:

'You know, you actually remind us-'

'Us?'

'Yes us Lily, of someone, doesn't he Lils, I mean, if you weren't blonde you could pass for his brother.'

Harry had a bad feeling about this.

'Oh my god you are so right. How could I have missed it? James Potter!'

'Did someone call my name?'

A lean young black haired man had just arrived and slid onto Lily's other side.

'I knew you couldn't survive too long without talking about me.'

Harry heard her reply angrily from a distance, his ears were buzzing, as Sirius, James, Peter and Lupin sat down around them.

'Harry, this is Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin and James Potter, the biggest group of ruel breakers in the school.' Alice introduced, Sirius actually grinned at the introduction.

Harry smiled at them, his heart hurting inside. He had never thought- he would have them to protect, he couldn't, he tried to separate the images he had of them as the teenage Sirius asked him:

'Hey new kid, which school did you go to?'

'Sirius, don't be rude, his name is Harry Infinitis, and he's from Dumstrang.'

Harry flashed Lily a tired smile of gratitude as she answered, she hesitatingly returned it, attracting James ever present attention to anything about Lily.

'Really? How come you not in Slytherin?' James asked, slightly annoyed Lily was smiling at someone else than him.

'James, how da-'

Harry unthinkingly put a hand on Lily's shoulder, stopping her mid-reply and replied himself:

'How come Black's not?'

'You picking a fight?' James riposted, in angry defence of his friend, who was not paying attention to anything but his dessert, as he gave a pointed look at Harry's hand still on Lily's shoulder.

Harry smiled sadly, and suddenly he could not stand it anymore, James being loyal, removing his hand and getting up, he said:

'No, just making a point. I'll see you later Lily.'

And he walked off, ignoring Lily calling his name before she turned to shout at James. Ignoring the odd looks at leaving the hall so quickly, Harry lengthened his stride. He could feel his eyes over bright with unshed tears and he could not cry in front of anyone else. Harry quickly left the castle and headed towards Hagrid's hut unconsciously. He was halfway there before he remembered Hagrid did not know him and he gave a half-hearted laugh before flinging himself down onto the grass, forgetting how close he was to the forbidden forest. Harry gazed at the emerging stars, from here he looked so small, nothing in the universe. Lily's face was swimming before his eyes, the way she had laughed, the way she had been so happy, Sirius. Oh Sirius, I would do anything to save you but I cannot, I cannot change the past so much. And James, protecting, like always does, like he will with his last breath. Harry closed his eyes. Hermione would probably be freaking out about him by now, Ron trying to find something comforting to say but making it worse. What would they all think, that he had died taking Voldemort with him? What had happened there? Their world would be at peace if the past didn't change. At last resort he would have to try and kill Voldemort and himself in this time, so nothing changes in his time. A crackle behind, got him up with his wand raised so quickly, his half healed body gave a twitch of pain. But he could not see in the rising dark,

'Lumos!' The surrounding were illuminated and he saw a majestic hippogriff, probably curious, approaching from the forbidden forest.

'Hey…' Harry then remembered and gave a deep bow before the hippogriff that looked so much like buckbeak. He waited with baited breath as the hippogriff looked at him with contempt. Then bending its scaly legs he bowed back. Slowly, Harry approached, knowing ti wasn't the wisest thing, but the hippogriff did not do anything as Harry reached him, and patted him gently,

'Well, you're probably the first friend I've made here. You remind me of a hippogriff I knew, he was named Buckbeak. Do you think I could call you that?' Harry knew he was talking to a hippogriff, and was even more surprised when it gave a hrumph of protest at the name. 'Okay, no Buckbeak, what about Wither wings?' Harry made up a few names after that but apparently the hippogriff did not like them. Finally, Harry gave up, 'Okay, Okay, I won't name you. You're worse than Luna when we tell her nargles don't exi- Wait Luna, you like Luna?' The hippogriff eyes him beadily. 'You must be a female, Alright then, Luna Lovegood would be proud.'

Suddenly he realized the foolishness of the situation, and laughed out loud, then patting Luna a last time he drew back, looking at the castle and started trudging the Gryffindor common room.

* * *

James Potter was in a bad mood, first a new student annoys him by flirting with Lily and then the prank they were about to play on the Slytherins backfired sending Peter as well as the targeted Slytherin to the hospital wing. He was under his cloak with Sirius now, going back to the common room, Remus had refused to take part in this prank, being his usual sensible self. He knew Professor McGonagall was on the prowl for the perpetrators and he had to be careful. Suddenly he stopped short as he heard the headmaster's voice:

'The password is Unity, are you alright?' Shushing Sirius with a foot stamp, they approached silently. The Headmaster was there, looking concernedly at the new student, Harry Infinitus.

The latter answered: 'I'm sorry professor, I just, I thought I was ready, but seeing them, so happy, I- I. His voice broke and he stopped talking. James had no idea what they were talking about, but it seemed as if the headmaster knew the new kid really well.

'I imagine fate was not kind to them. But you know you don't have to do this to yours-'

'It won't happen again professor, I was never good at keeping my feelings hidden, but I will not fail everything we have worked for now. I will- I must be able to do this. Besides, the Dumbledore I knew let me try things by myself, allowed me to test myself, allowed me a chance. I am the only one who has all the facts, no one else can protect- well, it is late professor, goodnight.'

James watched as the headmaster raised a hand half heartedly: 'Harry,'

'Yes?' he answered, his bangs hiding his eyes in the already flickering light of the candles.

'I will leave tomorrow, looking for that spell, if I find it anywhere, it would be in my former best friends books. If you need anything in that time, talk to Minerva, she will understand, other than that, you new things will be here tomorrow morning, goodnight.' Both of them separated. Sirius and James looked at each other in consternation, who was the new transfer student? They both hurried in, eager to tell Lupin what they had found out.

* * *

The next morning Harry rose at dawn, his biological clock seemed to be completely altered with the time travel. He got up groaning, his hand going to his glasses. He knew he would not be able to sleep again. Looking around he saw four figures in their respective beds. Smiling slightly he saw his father with his mouth open snoring loudly. Getting up, he noticed a new trunk in front of his bed. Probably house elves, Hermione would be furious, he thought smiling slightly. Opening it he saw, fresh new robes, apparently they were the exact right size. Books, a bag, dragon gloves and a few other supplies.

Smiling, he changed and wandered what he would do until class started. Sighing, he took a piece of parchment and a new quill to the hall where breakfast was already available. He didn't know how he would send a letter to Ron and Hermione, but he would write something down at least, you never knew. Anything which would comfort him into knowing he wasn't as alone as he felt. Nibbling a piece of toast he tried to write. But nothing seemed to explain how he was feeling now or what had happened to him. Giving up when two hours later he had still only written down a few lines, he put down his quill and rumpled his hair. By now the hall was starting to fill with bleary eyed students.

Harry stuffed the unfinished letter into his robes, and exited the hall, wanting to get his books. But a sudden motion behind him made him reach for his wand in his pocket. A group of Slytherins were right behind him. He didn't know how he could have missed them approaching, his skills were blunt. There were already a few Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in the hall but no Gryffindors. Besides, they were not in the hall anymore.

'Well well, a lone Gryffindor, and the newbie to boot, what were you writing?'

Harry stood his ground, his wand on the ready inside his robe, his eyes narrowed as he recognized the group, or most of them, a boy with a bad case of acne, probably Crabbe's father, a pale blond Lucius Malfoy, A female version of Zabini Blaise, Snape and a small slim boy, Regulus Black, he recognized with a jolt.

'Slytherins I assume,' he said in a bored indifferent voice, not letting his turbulent feelings show. 'I am not planning to start the eternal Gryffindor SLytherin feud with you.'

Snape hissed: 'But we all choose a side, and you have chosen Gryffindors.'

Harry looked at the boy who would grow up to pay for the rest of his life to repair the guilt he felt and said sadly:

'And what if you chose the wrong side Severus?'

Snape gave a start at the fact that Harry knew his name, but didn't have time to reply as Lucius bit out: 'Well right now, you seem to be on the losing side, and we have to pay back Gryffindor for the last prank.' whipping out his wand, Harry mirroring his movement.

Harry suddenly didn't care if he got in trouble, he would make them pay, at least a little, for all the pain they would cause later on.

'Do it Malfoy,' he goaded he wand on the ready, 'I would love to cause you pain right now,'

Lucius seemed a bit surprised at his lack of fear, the smirking he raised his wand. Harry felt the curse on his lips when a certain red head and her best friend appeared, going to the great hall for breakfast.

The scene froze, then Lily advanced oblivious to the danger with a raised voice: 'Harry? Harry! What are you doing?'

Harry stood shocked, he hadn't planned on fighting with Slytherins in front of his mother who could get hurt. Snape had lowered his wand but the rest of the Slytherins were still glaring malevolently at Harry.'

'Don't get into this mudblood, Harry was just going to understand what happens to foolish Gryffindors.'

'Don't call her that!' Alice called out, her wand out.

But already Lucius had threw a spell, wand aimed at Lily. Harry went into instincts as he pushed a frozen Lily out of the way, the curse hitting him straight into the chest, blasting him 5 feet into the air. Harry twisted around as he hit the wall and shouted:

' Expelliarmus!'

The Slytherins were taken by surprise and all the wands were blasted out of the way while an irate Professor McGonagall appeared, shouting at three Marauders. All four stopped as they watched Harry, tumbling down onto the floor, roll back up, wand out and shouting incensed:

'Is that all you can do cowards? Attack an unarmed girl?'

James stared in wonder at the new student who looked positively dangerous, his robes billowing around him. The Slytherins didn't answer, probably because they were unarmed, and perhaps because a professor had appeared. Harry turned, saw McGonagall and sighed: 'Damn'.

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kay, now you have to review!


	4. Chapter 4: The Letter and the Potion

Well, here's the next chapter, not corrected very well I'm afraid. Enjoy....

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**Chapter 4: The Letter and the Potion**

_The Slytherins didn't answer, probably because they were unarmed, and perhaps because a professor had appeared. Harry turned, saw McGonagall and sighed: 'Damn'._

'Professor McGonagall!, it's not what it looks like, the Slytherins started-' Lily spoke up.

'The Gryffindors were trying to ambush us Professor.' Lucius drawled in lazily.

Immediately pandemonium broke out as Alice and Lily argued furiously, backed up by the Marauders who had not even been there. Harry closed his eyes, retreating slightly,sighing. He was not happy with himself, he had lost his usually carefully reined in temper. What would have happened if his moth- Lily had not arrived. And she had nearly been hit. A large bang erupted from McGonagall's wand as everyone quieted.

Adressing the ghost Sir Nicholas who Harry had not even noticed she asked:

'Do you know what has happened here.'

'Well of course, my dear Minerva. True Gryffindor bravery is what happened. That group of pestilent Slytherins cornered Mr Infinitus. They were about to duel when Ms. Evans and Ms. Hart arrived. Mr Malfoy threw a curse on Ms. Evans, when Mr. Infinitus pushed her out of the way, took the curse and disarmed them.'

'The ghost is biase-' one of the Slytherins called out before being silenced under McGonagall's glare.

'Mr. Malfoy, your head of house will be informed and 50 points will be taken from Slytherin. Now go to your class. Turning around she saw Harry lounging, a brooding look on his eyes.

'Mr Infinitus, as much as your bravery is appreciated, let me remind you dueling is forbidden unless organized by your professors. However as it may, 10 points to Gryffindor. Do you need to go to the infirmary?'

Harry smiled knowingly at her and said quietly:

'No Professor. May I go to class now?'

Startled she nodded brusquely and walked off, wandering about the brooding look in Harry's eyes. Harry was slightly amused at how his professor's behavior had not changed even when years in the past.

Lily's voice cut through his reverie as she hurried after him.

'Harry, Harry! Wait up!'

Harry slowed as the red head came to stand in front of him.

'Harry are you alright?'

He looked in surprise to an anxious Lily:

'What? Yeah f'course I am, why wouldn't I be?'

'Well, I just wanted to thank you, I mean, if you hadn't been-'

'If I hadn't been there this wouldn't have happened.'

He said harsher than he intended. Softening his tone, he added:

'I'm glad I could do it, now come on, let's go to Herbology.'

James watched them walk off jealously, he was happy Harry had saved Lily, he would have killed him if he hadn't, but now Lily was fawning over him, and he did not like it at all.

'Come on Sirius, we're already late for first class…Sirius?'

He looked around, Sirius was bending over next to the wall Harry had been bashed against.

'Sirius, this isn't really the time to be picking up trash.' But Sirius ignored him, reading it, then walking over and handing it to James he said:

'I saw Harry dropping it when he was cursed. Read, '

_Dear Hermione, Ron,_

_I don't know how to explain what has happened to me, or how I will ever get this to you. Please stop worrying about me, I am fin- I am alive. I wonder every hour how it could have happened differently. I saw them you know, the dead, before I went to meet him at the forbidden forest. An I wonder how Teddy will ever forgive me for allowing his parents to- However hard what I am doing right now, I hope our world is a better one for it. If what I did worked, then everything should be on the road to recovery. I know you both have lot's of questions about my dissapearance, believe me it was not by explain, well, I find myself in Hogwarts, I never left it after all, only, everything's changed. My dorm mates are the Marauders. I have also met Neville's mother, tell him she is as happy and joyful as a person could be. However, everything is not perfect, Voldemort has risen to power here, and now, I have brought my dueling partner too and he has promised me pain. I am starting seventh year here, I have a sense of déjà vu as I go along, and I have met Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and even Snape. I know, but you do understand he had always been the man Dumbledore said he was. I also met Lily yesterday, and it just made the ache worse, she is so beautiful I have a hard time believing it's her. I wish, I wish things could have turned out differently. I know I'm being moody, but the past seems to be overtaking my future. At least Hermione, I am completing my education, I know you always disapproved of us skipping the last year. I so wish to know what is happening, are they voting for a new prime minister? If I get a vote, I ask for Shacklebolt. I do not know how long I will be here, or if I will ever get out, meanwhile, take care of everyone I love, tell Ginny to-, tell my godson, when he is old enough, so he understands why his parents died, I do not want him in the dark. Tell your mom Ron, that if I could redo it, all over I would, I know how much Fred's death- I am sorry for everything you both had to endure for my sake._

James looked up at a frowning Sirius.

'Are you also getting the feeling Harry is hiding something?'

'Heck I don't understand half the letter. He writes to these people like if they knew the Marauders, Professor Dumbledore...do you think Hermione and Ron are ex-Hogwarts Students?'

'We could always check with the records, or ask remu-'

'Potter, Black, in class now!' Professor McGonagall's voice was as sharp as a whip as she returned to the scene to find the two worse miscreants in the whole school. They both ran out of the corridor before she could minus some points.

* * *

Harry sighed as they got out of Herbology, Professor Jane reminded him of a thorny plant, but he had to admit she was a good teacher.

'So what do you think of Herbology? Is it very different form your old school?' Lily asked, she seemed to have made herself his personal tour guide, not that Harry was complaining. He smiled lightly as he fingered his bangs.

'I'm glad Dumbledore found us a good teacher in that subject.'

Lily gasped, 'Professor Dumble- James Potter!' Her attention momentarily diverted by his father, Harry smirked. 'How dare you miss the first class in the whole year! First impressions are-'

'Well Lily-flower, you're the one who gave the impression of being late.'

Lily sniffed, then turning to Harry she said,

'Come on Harry, let's go to double Charms.'

Harry looked on helplessly as she grabbed his hands and marched him away, not before he saw James eyes narrowing at his hand in Lily's. Oh, he hadn't thought of that. If James thought he liked Lily, as well, a girlfriend, it wouldn't be easy to to get his trust and be close when he needed protecting. Dismissing the thought, Harry tried to have as much fun as he could with his mother. They passed every class talking, joking and laughing. Harry nearly felt like he was back with Ron and Hermione as she in turn laughed at his antics under the disapproving glare of McGonagall to prodding him awake in History of Magic. By the end of the day, Harry was relaxed and thoroughly enjoying himself. He was also doing well in his classes, he didn't know if it was the curriculum that was easier in the past or that he had grown smarter with the time travelling. However underneath all the joy, Harry reflected as they went for their last class potions, their was still the bitter sweetness of the facts, and he could not forget his job was to protect them. When he entered the class he was surprised to see he recognized Professor Slughorn, albeit a younger one. He groaned silently as he wondered if he had a slug club already, then he smiled , he was no longer the _boy-who-lived_, he was of no importance here.

Harry settled down next to Lily as Slughorn started to speak:

'Alright, Alright settle down. Now welcome to seventh year Potions, I hope you all know the level of dedication and hardwork this course needs. However, today, since it's the first day, I will let you brew your own potions in pairs, anything that comes to mind,easy or hard. Now, chop, chop, you have an hour.'

Harry looked at lily questioningly. 'Well Lils? Any ideas?'

'How about something easy? Transfiguration wiped me out and you still had a better teapot at then end of class. An engorging potion,' she suggested as she flipped through her potions book. 'I know it's fifth year material.'

Harry nodded easily, getting up, he went to the potions cupboard and got the ingredients, he wasn't likely to forget that potion, Snape had been particularly vicious that day. When he came back to the table he saw a pack of Slytherins had sat behind them and he made note to be particularly attentive. As he placed the ingredients on the table Lily looked at him bewildered:

'How did you know where the ingredients were?'

Harry cursed his stupidity as he muttered:

'The layout of the class is similar to my previous potion class.'

Seeming to accept that, Lily started chopping the gurdy roots. Placing a hand on hers he stopped her,

'Lily, try grinding them, trust me, I've done this before.'

'Well so have I Mr .Superior,'

Lily said miffed but she listened to him and they made the potion, Harry changing the potion slightly according to memorized half-blood prince instructions. Now he knew Snape was truly on their side he felt no qualms about listening to his book. Forty minutes into the class Lily wiped her brow and frowned at the golden potion in front of them. Testing it on the bullfrog given she watched amazed as Harry stirred clockwise and took a spoonful, the bullfrog engorged, then, another stir anticlockwise and as he fed the bullfrog another spoonful, it reduced back to its original size. Slughorn, who had been watching carefully, clapped his hands shouted:

'Bravo, Bravo, My, my, Evans, you really know how to brew them, a reversible engorging potion, now that, I haven't seen for a while.'

'It was Harry sir,' Lily piped up although blushing at the praise. Harry smiled at her, noticing a new side to his mother yet again.

On the other side of the class, Sirius looked worriedly at a fuming James. James had been watching them, seething the whole day, and seeing Harry smiling so tenderly at HIS future girlfriend was the last straw. He remembered a line in Harry's letter: _'she is so beautiful I have a hard time believing it's her.'_ Looking at Sirius he took a few exploding nuggets out of his pocket. Sirius grinned wickedly. Levitating the nuggets, he waved them over into Harry and Lily's cauldron, both too occupied with smiling to notice.

Yet Harry had been expecting the Slytherins to try something, as he heard three tiny splashes, he reacted without thinking, jumping over Lily, he shouted Protego. A large shield settled over him and Lily as their cauldron exploded, globs hitting the impenetrable shield and travelling backwards and spattering the furious Slytherins behind them. The class stood shocked for half a second before the shouting started. Harry waved the shield off and pulled Lily up as he turned to face a furious Lucius.

'Infinitus'

he snarled, his wand already out, Malfoy had somehow not been touched, and he faced Harry as Slughorn bustled behind, trying to find the antidote for the affected Slytherins.

'Malfoy' Harry replied coolly, both of their wands touching each other's chest.

'You really seem to have a death wish.'

'If you actually used a portion of that brain of yours, you would realize I didn't cause this. I would never put Lily in danger.'

'Oh really? Then what did you do in the hall?'

Harry whitened as sparks fell out of his wand. The Marauders, although surprised at how their prank had turned out, stood up and stood besides Harry. James might hate the guy, but he was a Gryffindor.

'Now, now, Malfoy, we didn't know you were that obsessed to your looks. I'm sure a little engorging potion would do your sallow constitution good.' Sirius said in a honeyed voice, though his wand was twirling in his fingers.

'Shut up, traitor, you wouldn't know the term loyalty to your comrades if your life depended on it.'

James opened his mouth to ripost but he was too late as Harry's eyes flashed dangerously, and he pushed his wand to Lucius's throat.

'Care to repeat that Malfoy, because I would love to pay you back for the hall.'

Malfoy actually took a step back at the threat in Harry's voice but he was spared the embarrassment of backing off with Slughorn arriving.

'Boys, boys, I'm sure the exploding cauldron was a mistake, wands back in please, and off you go, class ends early today.'

Reluctantly the Marauders turned around. Harry waited until Lucius had his wand in before he lowered his. Snapping back to reality he turned around to a wide eyed Lily.

'Lily, are you alright?' he asked worriedly, scanning her body for any engorgement.

'Yes of course I am, but what was all that about?'

He gave her an unconvincing smile as he picked her bag up.

'Nothing much, Malfoys have always made my blood boil, come on let's get out of here.'

'You mean you've known some Malfoys before.' Lily asked as she strided after him.

'Yeah, kindoff,' Harry said, cursing his loose tongue.

'Oh Harry, I forgot to tell you, thanks again, you always seem to be at the right place, right moment, and I didn't really care to try the engorgement potion.'

Harry smiled distractedly at his mother as he spied the Marauders coming out of the dungeons.

'It was nothing, listen Lily, why don't you go meet Alice in the hall for dinner, I forgot something in class, I'll catch up.'

'Sure,' Lily said unsuspectingly as she went on.

Frowning, Harry walked over to the Marauders.

* * *

Well, what do you think...tell me in your review, the more I get the sooner I update....


	5. Chapter 5: Protected From the Real World

I know, I know, I haven't updated for weeks, but I was seriously on a blockage. I mean, I have no idea where this story is going, and meanwhile I was reading all these Harry time travel fics, and I was getting confused with how to mkae the story go, serious harry, withdrawn or happy? Should I make the DA professor evil, should I just have a few chapters on normal classes and Harry standing out like all the other time travel fics or should Voldemort be more active from the beginning...I really need help guys. On top of that I have to chack this chapter for mistakes and I'm really bad at spotting them. Anyway, enough excuses, here you go, I;m no particularly pleased with this chapter but I had to post something....

* * *

**Chapter 5: Protected From the Real World?**

_Frowning, Harry walked over to the Marauders._

The Marauders actually only consisted of his father and the traitor right gulped before he stepped into his father's way. James might grow up to protect Harry with his life, but he needed to set the line.

'What do you want Infinitus?' James said coolly, hand ruffling his hair.

'You know why I'm here James. You can prank me but there is a limit to harming my friends.'

'Your friends?' James said irritably.

'Get at me all you want with exploding cauldrons, but leave Lily out of this.'

'Leave Lily out of this? I would never harm Lily!'

_I know,_ Harry thought knowing all too well how true the statement was, 'But Lily could have been hurt today, and I don't k-'

'If you stay away from her, this wouldn't have happened,' James said nearly shouting in the now empty corridor. You may be new, but Lily is out of bounds.'

Harry's eyes flashed angrily, was his father really this childish? And his heart clenched at the thought, that maybe, James hadn't changed from the boy he way in Snape's pensieve.

'Lily is my friend' he bit out.

'Ha, you don't want to just be Lily's friend.' Peter insinuated.

Harry had forgotten about the rat, but with his temper already high with conflicting emotions, he rounded to him, wand ready:

'Don't give me an excuse to hex you, you traitorous rat.'

'Now you owe him an apology, Infinitus.' James said angrily, his wand out. Harry wondered if he would be able to fight his father, when suddenly, Sirius appeared, hand reaching for his wand as he saw the scene.

'What's wrong James?'

'Infinitus was just going to apologize to Peter before staying away from us and Lily.'

'Ahh, good, I felt like getting into a fight, now Harry, apology waiting over here.'

'Pettigrew doesn't deserve anything from me.' Harry said, seething at the thought that he couldn't kill Peter without sending himself to Azkaban here. This was beyond maddening, but he was not here to hex Peter to oblivion.

Harry lowered his wand just as he heard Sirius's lazy drawl: 'Stupefy'

He was so shocked Sirius had attacked him only his instincts acted, blocking the hex before gaping at Sirius,

'Sirius…y-you attacked me!'

The three Marauders looked at him a bit surprised, anger they expected but shock? The bloke was crazy. Slowly they watched the boy's face shut off, a bitter smile on his face as he looked at Sirius, 'I guess I expected too much,'

And suddenly, Harry wanted to hurt Sirius as much as he was hurting now,

'But then what else can you suppose of a Black, attacking when the enemy doesn't have their wand up.'

Immediately Harry felt remorseful, how could he taunt Sirius with his family, he was no better then Snape, but the damage had already been done, as Sirius eyes widened and James stepped up protectively, his eyes glaring. Not able to bear the reproach and anger in his father's eyes, Harry turned around, and walked off, hoping he wouldn't meet anyone until the forbidden forest.

James looked at Sirius worriedly, Infinitus' gibe had hit home alright. But anyone might come around here so dropping an arm on Sirius's shoulder he dragged him through the corridors, to their dormitory, knowing everyone except Remus would be at dinner. As soon as Remus saw them he dropped his quill and frowned:

'What happened?'

'Infinitus.'

Peter hissed as he watched his friend's darkened face. Sirius hadn't spoken yet, Harry's words were still echoing inside his head, _what else can you suppose of a Black_, all his life he had tried to distance himself from them, and the look in Harry's eyes when he had hexed him, a mixture of guilt and betrayal, like if he really had expected more of him…

'He's hiding something, I know he is.' James paced around the room. 'And does anyone get the feeling he knows a lot more than he let's on.'

Remus looked at his best friends and wondered if it was the right time to share his deductions.

'I mean Moony, look at the letter he wrote, he dropped it on the way to class-'

'And you read it?' Remus said sharply.

James rolled his eyes, 'Come on Moony, anyone would have, read it.' He handed the scrunched parchment to Remus as he moved to sit next to Sirius.

'You okay mate?'

'Yeah, I guess, but how would he know? Harry I mean.' Sirius said brrodingly, and James knew exactly what he meant. How could he have known what to say to hurt Sirius the most.

'Probably just fluke.' James reassured his friends.

'I don't- it doesn't matter, but the way he looks at me sometimes, it's weird, like he's amazed and guilt wracked at the same time.'

'This letter, are you sure he wan't pranking you.' Remus spoke up.

'Nope, and even if it was, what's the prank?' Sirius asked, his upbeat nature resurfacing.

'I don't know, there are so many conflicting messages in this. Who is Hermione? It is an unusual name and I haven't heard it at Hogwarts, but he talks to them like if they knew us, Professor Dumbledore, Hogwarts really.'

'Maybe they're his parents, and he just calls them by their names.'

'Mmm, perhaps. But look, _I never left it_, he's talking about Hogwarts, but he's a new student, I'm sure of that, so what does he mean?'

'We were kind of hoping you could figure it out Moony.'

'The only thing I see from this is that Harry is more than he appears. He keeps talking about you-know-who, by his own name, only Professor Dumbledore does that.'

'Well we'll just keep a close eye on him , makes sure he doesn't hurt Lil- anyone.' Sirius amended hastily as he saw James frown.

'Don't you think you being a bit harsh on him though,' Remus added hesitantly. 'The guy looks pretty descent.'

'Moony, don't joke around, the guy looks dangerous. And look at the way he protected himself against the cauldron, it was as if he expected it.'

The four friends stayed in a rare moment of silence, all thinking, until Gryffindors started showing up from dinner. James looked around to see if Harry was around, half wanting to confront him, but he did not come in. A fuming Lily however did.

'Potter!' she shouted as soon as she perceived them in the lounging chairs. 'What did you do to him?'

'If by him, you mean your new boyfriend I regret to say we aren't guilty.' Sirius drawled, slightly amused by the sight before him.

James however was thouroughly annoyed at the concern Lily was exhibiting.

'Lily, you should stay away from him, he's trouble.' He said, for once serious.

Lily, gave a short sarcastic laugh. 'Oh the hypocrisy of that statement. Now tell me what you did, Alice told me he was talking to you.'

'What do you see in him anyway?' James replied,

'What I- What I see in him? I'm just being a good-'

James snorted, and Remus sighed, he really was asking for it.

'Fine Potter,' Lily replied, eyes flashing, 'what do you want to hear? That he is everything you're not, modest and kind and-'

By this time, James was up, eyes flashing, but Lily started blushing, and he looked around to see an arriving Harry at the door.

Harry looked up to see the scene, with Lily and James, and sorrow seemed to cross his eyes at the scene, but only Remus saw it as it changed to polite indifference as he approached.

'Hey Lily, I'm sorry I missed you at dinner, I had- something I needed to take care off.'

Lily looked at him, she had no idea why it worried her to see him look so thin, for him to smile that gentle smile that didn't reach his eyes, she opened her mouth to say something, anything, but he was faster:

'Can we talk tomorrow, I forgot how tired school can make you.'

Put that way, Lily could only reply to his good night as he walked off, turning around she was met by four pairs of eyes looking at the retreating form with mixed feelings going from anger to distrust to interest. Blushing again at the mistake she had made for once, at insulting the Marauders she turned around silently and walked off, head held high.

* * *

Morning dawned bright and early as Remus stirred; he was always the first to wake. However, turning around, he saw the empty bed on his right, as if no one had ever slept there. It seemed Harry was an earlier riser.

By the time the Marauders got the great hall it was time for class.

'Padfoot, you want to skip?' James groaned as he helped himself to scones.

'James, you are going to class! It's our first DA class, we can't skip.'

'Jeesh, Moony, chill, I just didn't sleep well.'

'We're going to be late for class.' Peter said nervously, as he eyed the empty hall.

James got up, followed by a half asleep Sirius. Truth to be told, he was wondering who would teach them this year, the new professor had been introduced but he couldn't for the life of him remember his name let alone a face. But this year was different, it was their last year and they needed to be prepared.

* * *

Harry was late. And angry. He couldn't sleep last night so he had ventured towards Hagrid's hut before seeing Luna again (the hippogriff), he had fallen into an uncomfortable sleep there when he was suddenly woken with the sun's rays penetrating the first trees of the forbidden forest. He couldn't believe how foolish he was becoming, he could have been attacked by so many things, even Ron, the king of randomness, wouldn't have fallen asleep in the forbidden forest, Harry raged at himself. But he had actually felt more at home there than in a dormitory with faces of the past sleeping next to him. Harry tried to think of something else as he hurried along to his DA class, another lesson shared with the Slytherins. Thinking about the whole situation would just make him brood the whole day. As he arrived to the class door he tried to brush of the few leaves stuck to his robes and flatten his hair, he doubted it did much good. Then knocking, he entered the class; hopefully the professor wouldn't give him detention for a first lateness.

'-nd I have no intention to stay here longer than necess- Aaah, someone seems to believe Defence Against the Dark Arts is not an important subject. We are at war boy!'

'Sorry Professor,' Harry panted, looked at the grizzened man gesticuling in front of the class, he was reminded vaguely of Scrimgeour, 'I- I lost track of time.'

'Well don't waste any more of my time,' the professor grumbled as Harry hurried to the only free seat left, of course it had to be between the Slytherins and Gryffindors.

'Now as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I am not here by choice, but the ministry wants you all to be ready, and I have enough damn experience to retire. So put away all your books, we won't be bothering with that this year. Now, you know the situation of the wizarding world right now. I have been told by Dumbledore to make allowances for your weakness in this subject, you've all been protected so long you don't know the meaning of the real world anymore.'

Harry allowed himself a small smile, unfortunately the professor misinterpreted it.

'You boy! Name!'

Harry jumped a bit, the professor now reminded him of Mad-Eye.

'Err- Harry P- Infinitus.'

'Was what I said amusing?'

'No sir.' Harry said dutifully.

'You think you know the real world?'

Harry looked at him straight in the eyes as he replied with as much truth he could manage:

'I do not know this world.'

'Well then wipe that smirk of your face.'

He was annoying, but Harry said nothing as he sat back, his bangs covering his eyes.

'Now, this year, I have advanced the program as much as I could, Mr. Crouch has been very supportive of it. You will now be abandoning all the namby-pamby stuff and learning how to do real magic.'

Like clockwork, Lily's hand went up. Harry thought of Hermione, and was immediately annoyed with himself. What was it with this nostalgy?

'Name, Question.'

'Lily Evans Sir, I was wondering what you meant exactly by advancing the program?'

'Well, as you might have heard, the Ministry has allowed aurors to use Unforgivables on Death Eaters so we'll be studying dark curses in detail, advanced magical protection, Patronuses…'

Harry zoned out, he hoped he wouldn't be bored out of his favorite class.

'Now today, you'll be dueling in pairs, I need to see what you are capable of. Everything is allowed apart from the Unforgivables. I remind you I will kick you out of my class if you don't seem to have the potential. Well? What are you waiting for?'

Harry got up sighing, to see Lily with expectant eyes in front of him.

'Do you want to pair up?' She asked innocently.

'Ye-yeah, I thought- where's Alice?'

'Oh, Frank asked her,' she said rolling her eyes.

Harry shared her smile, it fell as he saw James glaring at him behind her. Now he understood Lily's prompt arrival.

'Now face off, don't bow you idiot, you think the death eaters will do that? They'll kill you before you get your head back.'

Lily giggled, 'Professor Rayger really is something.'

Harry smiled gently as he faced her, but suddenly, as he looked at her laughing eyes, he knew he'd never be able to hex her.'

'Begin!'

Pandemonium ensued.

* * *

Remus was paired with Peter, partly because he was closest, partly because no one else would partner with Pettigrew. Even James had drawn the line when Peter had set his robes on fire when he was supposed to disarm him. He looked around, as Peter tried to pronounce a spell. Most of the students were managing to send some spell out of their wand but they were always wide of mark. The only damage being done were by spells hitting the wrong opponents. Sirius and James in their ususal messy fashion were aiming their spells towards the Slytherins while pretending to be targeting each other and missing.

'Harry, come on, hex me. Tarangatella!' Remus turned over to Lily's exasperated voice. Lily was fairly good at spell work but Harry was either mediocre or badly in need of practice. _No that wasn't it,_ Remus frowned, as he looked closed at the fluid way Harry moved, dodging another of Lily's spells as well as one sent by a Slytherin. He saw Harry wave his wand almost imperceptibly as the hexing Slytherin suddenly found himself covered in boils. Why would he not hex Lily? It wasn't gallantry, the Slytherin he had hexed was female. Remus sighed again as Peter suddenly managed to colour his hair green.

A loud bang startled everyone into silence. Harry sighed in relief. He didn't know how to fake duel. And he sure as hell wouldn't try on his mum. The seriousness of the fact and the light attitude in the class just unnerved him.

'I cannot believe you bunch of worthless fighters are the next generation of wizards.' Rayger exclaimed, then marching through the students he stopped in front of Harry.

'Infinitus!'

Harry sighed, Rayger really didn't like him it seemed. Soon he was going to think it was Snape in disguise.

'I said it was a duel. You're the only one who didn't even try to hex your partner.'

Harry wondered how the professor could have seen that through the mess going on. He wondered what he should say. Going for useless he murmured, eyes lowered:

'I guess I'm just usele-'

'Impedimenta!' He roared.

Harry instinctively knew he was too close range to dodge so he shouted back:'Protego!'

A large blue shield repelled the lethal attack as Harry stared at Rayger.

'What the?! You could have sent me to the Hospital Wing with that.' He said, forgetting he was speaking to his professor in front of an audience.

Rayger wore a satisfied smirk as he looked at him. 'Do you know why I was taken off active duty by the ministry as an auror?'

Harry stared at him silently funming, he was already standing out and the last thing he needed was a nosy professor.

'First, was my ruthlessness which made some of the departments protest' Rayger said calmly, 'and second is my ability to gauge my opponent's skill.'

'So you're one of those aurors who turn as bad as the death eaters they hunt.' Harry stared at him coldly. It was people like him that got Sirius to Azkaban without a trial.

'I do what is necessary.' Rayger hissed, a few inches from Harry now.

'Really? Well Dumbledore is also doing what is necessary and I don't see him relish at the thought of casting Unforgivables.'

'What's your point boy?'

'Dumbledore is the only person Voldemort is afraid of, so he must be doing something right.'

The gasps some of the students at You-Know-Who's name brought Harry back to reality. This was not what he wanted to do, bring attention to himself. Shoulders drooping he reigned his temper as he took two steps back.

'But then, I'm only a protected student who hasn't seen the real world, _sir_.'

The professor didn't reply as he looked at Harry assessing his eyes. At that moment the bell rang and all the students jolted to life.

'I'll post a list of the students hwo have enough potential to come to next class.'

Nodding his head at the professor, Harry joined the leaving students, losing himself in the crowd while feeling the ex-auror's gaze on his back.

* * *

I know this was full of mistakes, I'll try to recheck it or find some good soul to check it for me later. Right now it's kind of late and I have an A-level Chem test tommorrow morning. Anyway if this fanfiction is good enough to save, please review, I was amazed at the amount of poeple who put this fanfiction on Story Alert or Favorites but didn't comment. Btw, to all people who reviewed, thank you, and I hope I managed to answer everyone individually. Remember, the next chapter really depends on whether I get inspiration from you.


	6. Chapter 6: Of Thestrals and Brooms

**_Hey! So here's the next chapter, I wrote it in bits so might not be very cohesive. It is however, the longest chapter I've ever written for this fanfic, so feel blessed, and ignore the spelling mistakes._**

**_Great many thanx go to the following people, it's because of them you have such a long chapter(Get the hint? Lot's of reviews, log chapter :): meNyou.2, StunningSpellRocks2345, lferg, itachisgurl93, Ablus Severus Potter, Little Writter, Lyne Morgan, Kirsten Bradshaw, beautifulandmysterious, Pepper-glass, xXx-Anna-xXx, Cristalelle, amaramichelle, Richards, imaginedreamer, planeteer-rach. I hope I didn't forget anyone!_**

**_Oh and changes made to the story thanks to some observant readers:_**

**_Harry is sent back to 1977, not 1970, I went back and changed it._**

**_Nostalgy is Nostalgia(but I couldn't find it anywhere :( ), Hippogriph is Hippogriff_**

**_There is no ministry-loving teacher in Ch4, Herbology professor is fine, (That's actually my mistake!)_**

**_Okay, I forgot the rest of the changes, also don't worry, the fact that Harry's Holly wand is supposed to be broken will be explained later on…Anyway, enough, go read this chapter…_**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Of Thestrals and Brooms**

Lily Evans was in a decidedly bad mood.

It had started bad with James asking her out for a date while she was still blearily munching her breakfast, and Lily was definitely not a morning person. After dumping her breakfast on his head, Harry had compounded her bad morning by being particularly absent and withdrawn, not even paying attention to her ramblings about the rule-breaking Marauders. Even Alice had annoyed her for mooning over Frank the whole morning. Lily shuddered, she hoped she would never be so foolish if she ever fell in love. Big fat chance of that, Lily thought glumly as she massacred her dinner, Potter had, until now, scared away any potential boyfriends. A sudden movement from her silent companion shook her out of her reverie as she watched Harry get up and leave the Hall, his plate untouched.

* * *

Harry flung himself into one of the couches in the Gryffindor common room, making sure everyone was still in the hall. What were they doing now? Hermione, Ron….Ginny. Would they be at the Burrow? With Mrs Weasley making some home-made apple pie, would George be at the joke shop? Was it even still open? How were they coping with all the deaths? Would Hogwarts have been repaired yet? What would they think of his disappearance? Would they be looking for him, or did they believe he was dead, him and Voldemort finishing each other, a fitting end.

Voldemort....a never ending circle in fate. Would he ever be able to escape his desti-

'This is it!'

Harry jumped up, startled, hand already grasping for his wand, then relaxing as he saw it was only his moth- Lily, though from the furious expression on her flushed face he might need it.

'Lily, what's wrong?'

'You! That's what's wrong! Two weeks Harry! Two weeks of moping and ignoring the outside world.

Have you listened to a word I've said these days? To what any of the professors said? To any insults the Marauders have thrown at you?'

Harry stared at the first tantrum he had ever seen his mother throw and his lips curved back in a slight smile.

'Don't you smile right now Harry! Can you tell me what was grave enough for you to be moping about for so long and to now excuse with-a-smile.'

Harry's eyes turned dark at the reminder, he had thought that with Hermione and Ron not there no one would notice but Lily…

Letting out a deep breath Lily sat down daintily next to him.

'Phew, I'm glad I got that out, I feel better, you should try it sometimes.'

Under Harry's bemused stare she blushed.

'Not that I don't want to know why you've been brooding.'

She waited in expectant silence as Harry avoided looking at his vibrant young mother.

'Harry…can't you trust me? Even a little bit…You've been here a fortnight and all I know is that you don't eat. And you have too many secrets.'

Lily looked at the boy staring so seriously into her eyes….with eyes identical to hers. How had she never noticed that before? But then her eyes weren't unique, lots of people would have the same color. Sighing she stood up,

'Fine Harry…keep you-'

'No Lily, don't.' Harry called out to her as he took hold of her wrist, realizing his voice was too loud he gentled his tone: 'I'm trying, I'm trying to tell you. Keeping things to myself has been ingrained into me so much I forget I don't always have to keep everything hidden. It's just, I-'he choked as Lily sat back gently.

'Harry, it's okay, I shouldn't have-'

'No but I should…I, I'm trying to tell you something that would make sense. Before I came to Hogwarts, my life was… complicated. Voldemort…' Lily shivered unconsciously at the name. 'Voldemort hasn't just been active here, and I've lost many important people to him. I haven't really gotten all over it.'

'I'm so sorry, Harry, I didn't know.'

Harry smiled bitterly, 'How could you? I don't like pity. That's the main reason I don't talk about it. And the friends that do know, well, they don't know I'm here exactly. I kinda vanished without a trace, coming to Hogwarts.'

Lily frowned, confused, he wasn't making much sense. But she felt the warm glow of friendship as Harry haltingly tried to explain himself. Next to her Harry had grown silent, and Lily contemplated on the fact that she felt so protective about him. She might be going crazy but she nearly felt maternal when she worried about his lack of appetite. It went far deeper than the concern a Head Girl should feel for a new student. But there was something so vulnerable about Harry, vulnerable yet dangerous, a paradox of a sort. Her musings were put to a stop as she felt Harry's head fall on her shoulder. Shocked, she looked right to see he had fallen asleep, on the couch, in the space of a few minutes. Sighing Lily examined his sleeping face, the dark circles around his eyes, the look of peace on his body now, the messy blond locks falling around his face.

'Oh well, now all I need is a nosy Gryffindor coming in and spreading rumors about us.'

Unfortunately, Lily did not have to look far, for a Gryffindor had entered the threshold long before Harry had fallen asleep. Remus had skipped dinner as he usually did, catching up on the homework he never had the time to do when hanging around with James and Sirius. His werewolf senses had not been needed to hear Lily shouting. And Lily in a temper usually was best avoided so he had silently sneaked across the common room, the couch partly shielding him. But when he realized it was Harry she was shouting at, Remus had stopped, not wanting to snoop, but curiosity high. So Harry had lost some important people to him, Remus could understand that, it also fit with the letter. But as he saw Harry fall asleep on Lily's shoulder he wondered what James would do if they developed a romantic relationship. He did not want to find out.

* * *

Harry woke, for the first time in weeks, feeling refreshed. No cemeteries or dead faces had haunted him through the long night. Disorientated, he sat up, he had apparently fallen asleep on the couch, someone had covered him up with one of the rooms blankets. Lily…His mind was a bit foggy, he had told her some things…he hadn't meant to say so much…and so little. Well, too late for remonstrance, he was just going to live with the consequences of his actions. There was one thing Lily had been right about: He needed to stop moping. Or at least hide it better; Harry thought grimly as he descended towards his first class, Care of Magical Creatures.

Harry stopped a second when he reached the open grounds, enjoying the fresh breeze. It would not do to arrive early to class, he hated the professor anyways. A ministry loving bigot who thought his aim on earth was to teach them how to defend themselves against creatures who meant wizards no harm- at least most of the time. A solitary bird, flying high in the air made Harry wish he could join it, carefree-

'You fly Harry?'

Harry jumped a bit as he turned around to face Remus, he really needed to get his wits back, everybody seemed to be creeping up on him these days.

'Err, no, not really.'

Not exactly the truth, but Harry did not want to stand out here too because of him Quidditch abilities. Besides his father was Gryffindor's star seeker if he remembered correctly, he did not want something else to drive the wedge between them even farther apart.

'It's just, the look on your face…Anyway, we're already late for class.'

Harry nodded once and turned to follow Remus, the image of him dead next to Tonks scarring his eyes.

Unfortunately for Harry, they were just in time for class, Professor Breegin started his lecture the usual way.

'Today class, we are going to deal with a particularly vicious breed of animals.'

Harry sighed, last time he had said that, they had done Nifflers.

'It has come to the attention of your esteemed professor Rayger that we are studying too tame. Beasts will ally themselves to You-Know-Who and you need to know what dark creatures roam this earth. Now tag along.'

In twos and threes, the students followed him as he directed them towards the Forbidden Forest. Harry trudged last, missing Lily who was not taking this class. A few students ahead, he saw Sirius laughing at something James had said, both smirking towards a sullen Snape and Harry wondered what prank they had played on him this time.

'Now gather around, gather around. What do you notice?'

Harry saw the blank stares before actually entering the threshold of the Forbidden Forest, and he felt his heart sink as he saw the milky eyes staring back at him. Thestrals.

'Well, can anyone see them? Johnson? Templeton?'

Harry avoided the Professors eyes trying to imitate the vacant gaze of his classmates. What was it with attention hounding him everywhere? Well he wasn't going to become freak show number one in this world even if he had to pretend normalcy to escape it.

'Well! Nothing? Exactly! The reason you see, is that you are looking at thestrals. I had Professor Rayger herd them here. Now can anyone tell me why Rayger can see them?'

'Because he's crazy?'

A Gryffindor muttered as he examined the roots of a tree, hoping he would see something.

'5 points from Mr Templeton. It is because Professor Rayger has seen…' He paused for emphasis, 'Death.'

At that a few of the girls took a step backwards giving high pitch cries. Harry rolled his eyes as Sirius proclaimed:

'Don't worry Ladies, I'm the man to protect you.'

Seeing the slightly sappy glance of a Slytherin, he shuddered theatrically and said:

'Provided you're in Gryffindor.'

'Quiet Mr. Black.' Breeg snapped, probably annoyed Sirius had ruined his introduction.

'Now thestrals are known to be evil omens, bringers of death in some cultures…'

Harry zoned out, the superstitions about thestrals always made him yawn. He stared at one of the three thestrals' tails, swishing hypnotically, left and right, left and right, left and-

Only his training allowed him to spot the sudden yet silent movement of a Slytherin's wand pointed at the thestral closest to James. Harry watched in slow motion as whatever spell he threw made the thestral rear back on its hind legs. Knowing exactly where the thestral was going to hit, he threw himself into James, pushing him out of the way, just as the thestral's hooves came pounding on exact spot James had been, slightly grazing Harry's cheek in the process. His little save had not gone unnoticed and as he got up he saw his class looking at him astounded. Sirius had his wand up as he helped a bemused James to his feet.

'What're you playing at Infinitus? You don't have to be in Slytherin for us to prank the hell out of you.'

Harry opened his mouth to defend himself when his gaze suddenly caught the curse throwing Slytherin:

Snape.

Snape who had done so much for the war, and who would pay for this with endless pranks if his involvement was known. Calming himself, Harry said:

'I'm sorry, I- I tripped, I thought I felt something touch me..'

Let them think he was coward, he let the weak explanation stand and the Marauders had no choice but to drop the matter, Breeg was watching after all, but only for now.

Harry spent the rest of the lesson contemplating the fact that none of the students had seen death yet, none except Snape. Snape, the professor that left him with the most mixed feelings in history. Well he had saved Harry's life in his first year as a debt to his father, Harry could help him in small ways to repay the debt to the older Severus Snape. Not knowing the object of his musings was watching him all the while with suspicious eyes.

* * *

'This is it, he's declared war Jamesie, we're pranking him.'

'Padfoot, I cannot agree more. The guy is just asking for trouble. What do you think Rem?'

'I think you're all misjudging him. I like Harry.'

'Moony, you can't defend him! Look at how he's hanging around Lily! And today he was practically asking for a fight.'

Remus sighed and closed the book he had been trying to read since James had called for Marauder meeting.

'If he wanted to try something with Lily he would have done it by now, but no, he hasn't even tried to flirt with her, which is possible James.' Remus raised his voice to stop his friend from interrupting him. 'I wasn't going to mention this, but I overheard Harry talking, he's lost friends to the war, from what I understood, that's one of the reason he's here. We should cut him a bit of sla-'

'And what about today?'

'He probably did trip.'

Remus said, but he doubted that himself. His heightened werewolf senses had suspected otherwise but he had no proof yet. Not that he needed much, Harry was rubbish at lying. And no one moving with the grace of a dancer in Defence against the Dark Arts could be this clumsy surely?

'He's sneaky.' Peter spoke up from the corner of the room. His friends looked at him to elaborate but Peter stayed silent, and Sirius took over:

'I say we still prank him, nothing too scary, just to see how he reacts, a true Gryffindor would take it with a laugh. Besides, keep his mind off his usual gloomy ones. What do you suggest?'

'What about dyeing his hair?' Pete suggested.

'Wormtail, Marauders are original if anything, something better, please.'

'We could always make him sing for the whole day like we did for Snape.'

'Or suspend him to the classroom in Potion.'

'Or-

'Stick him on a broom and be done with it, he said he can't fly.' Remus interrupted, worried by which idea Black and Potter would come up with next.

James scoffed: 'Can't fly? Everyone can fly.'

'James, not everyone is Gryffindor's prized seeker, I asked him before Care of Magical Creatures.'

'Okay, okay, I got it.' Sirius announced proudly. This is what we do….

* * *

Harry closed his eyes in the warm sun, unusual warmth for this season. And unusual behavior for him too, basking around, where any moment there could be attack. Harry snorted to himself; his world had made him a paranoid freak in this one. There had been no curses, death eaters sent after him or poisoned food. It was enough to make anyone relax his guard. Perhaps thats exactly what he wants, Harry mused. And then after he has killed me, could he go back? How would that affect everything? Would that even be possible? He was apparently the one who had dragged the dark lord into time, so shouldn't he have to be the one to send them back…if ever. But Harry was sure Voldemort would find another way of doing things, he hoped Dumbledore would find it first, whatever it was.

'Harry, again the frown on your face!'

Harry opened his eyes, yawning he stood up, back a bit stiff against the tree's bark.

'Lily. Alice abandoned you again?'

Lily rolled her eyes, 'I swear people in love do the most stupid things…'

Harry shut his eyes against the image the statement gave him, his mother dying for him. Would that be considered stupid?

'I'm sorry Harry, I shouldn't have said anything, you must have left people you love… I mean-'

'It's okay Lils, I was just thinking about what Dumbledore once told me: Love is the greatest weapon.'

Lily gazed at him, sometimes Harry looked years older than 17, now, with his lean frame against the trunk, his bangs hiding his eyes and a strange weariness over his body, Lily could hardly recognize him.

'Professor Dumbledore told you that? Did you leave someone you love? I mean a girlfriend.'

Harry's face twisted in pain, Ginny…Ginny was not his girlfriend, for all he knew she thought Harry was dead.

'No, no girlfriend…'

Lily watched him warily when she suddenly took his arm and said:

'Come on Harry, no brooding, let's go inside, it's starting to get chilly.'

Shaking his head, Harry started trudging behind her, when out of the blue, he heard a whooshing sound and before he could comprehend what was happening, Harry found himself on a broom, which then proceeded to rise higher and higher , jolting left and right. As soon as Harry realized he was not in deadly danger he relaxed, and righted his broom before flying in lazy circles above them. He saw Lily's face slack jawed with surprise at the current events, and a few yards away, the Marauders, shocked to disappointed faces around, Harry laughed out loud. Of course, Remus had told them, and he had just been pranked by his own father and godfather. A sudden harsh curse to his left brought his attention to another student in the air. Bemusedly he stared at Severus Snape on a broom; apparently the prank had been of a dual nature. Unfortunately, Snape was not a flyer, his hands were grasped convulsively around the broom which was now swaying dangerously high. Seeing the naked look of fear on the boy's face, Harry immediately called out:

'Lean backwards Snape, it'll slow down.'

But Snape was either not trusting a Gryffindor or just didn't hear as he clutched the handle of the broom leaning forward. Although being no firebolt, the broom shot forward, and Harry watched in slow motion from afar as Snape lost his grip and fell. Without thinking, Harry set his sight on the abnormally large snitch and leant forward, flying at the brooms limit. But Snape was falling too fast. Seeing he would be too late, Harry took his wand out and shouted:

'Levicorpus!'

Snape's body stopped a few inches from the ground and was levitated. As Harry stopped his broom one handedly from the steep dive and hopped off, waving his wand he removed the spell and Snape fell into a heap . Students outside had witnessed the whole prank and were now crowding around, much to Harry's consternation. Snarling in rage, Snape got up, wand out.

'Now, now Snivellus, no need to get your pants in a knot.'

A laughing Sirius said, a laughing Sirius backed with James and a wand out.

But Harry was not going to let a repeat of fifth year happen. Staring at Snape he said quietly yet everyone stopped to listen:

'Break it off Snape, at least they didn't try mauling you with a wild beast.' Snape snarled:

'But they would have deserved it Infinitus, stop playing the hero. You should have just let him maul James.'

'And now you will back off, you're even.'

'OI, Infinitus, no need to get all protective here.' James said annoyed, more at himself though, 'If the snake wants a fight, we'll give him one.'

'You're never even with a Gryffindor.' Snape said, a certain tinge of bitterness in his voice

'You owe me Snape.'

That he knew would take effect and he allowed himself a small smile as Snape growled and turned away, striding away through the spectators.

Harry turned around, to see the four Marauders gaping at him.

'What?' he asked.

'You just made a Slytherin listen to you.' James said melodramatically.

'But Harry, ' Sirius said, and Harry flinched at the his name passing through those lips, Remus narrowed his eyes at that. 'You might not know this, but Slytherins and Gryffndors are enemies, there was no need to save Snivellus ther-'

'Really? Well I owe a lot to Snape,' Harry's eyes widened slightly, 'I mean, to someone in his family, so all I can do is keep civil with Severus here.'

Sirius looked at him distrustfully, but didn't reply as James cut up:

'That was some amazing flying there.'

Harry raised his eyebrow, 'And I had been brought to believe that Marauder pranks were notorious in Hogwarts. But sticking me on a broom? Seriously?'

James actually blushed and said:

'I told them it was stupid.'

'You did n-'

'You said you couldn't fly.' Remus cut Sirius accusingly.

'No, I said I don't fly. There is a difference.'

'Potter! I assume you are responsible for this.' Both James and Harry opened there mouths to speak, then Harry abruptly closed it, hoping no one had noticed.

'Now Lily-flower, don't tell me you didn't enjoy it.'

'Don't call me that, I-'

'Come on Lils, it was a lame prank, but no one was harmed,' Harry said winningly, surprising them all.

'They could have killed Snape.'

'But they didn't. Don't worry though, I'm sure Snape will hex them sometime, he's not the type of the guy to give up that easily. I'd be worried if I were you guys.'

James stared at him with grateful eyes behind Lily's back as she humphd and moved off.

'Wow, Harry, thanks for that.'

'I heard that,' a departing Lily said.

'What did Snape mean?' Remus asked curiously. 'The whole mauling thing..'

For the first time, the Marauders saw Infinitus stutter.

'Er, I d-don't know.'

His attempt was so transparent even Harry chuckled nervously, and facing James, he said:

'I'm only telling you this so you're more on your guard, not to hex Snape. He kind of nearly set a thestral at you during Care of Magical Creatures.

'He did WHAT?' James shouted.

'D-James, calm down, he was just getting back at you for whatever prank you pulled on him. No one was hurt.'

'That cowardly little serpent. I'm going to-' seeing Harry's face he abruptly changed it to:' Err, I guess I owe you an apology, you should have just told me on the spot when you tripped you were saving me from ghostly creatures. How did you find out anyway? Only people who see death can – oh, I'm sorry.'

James, a bit slow sometimes felt himself bite his tongue as he saw the opposing face closing off, the moment of connection he felt with him cut.

'Who did you see die?' Peter asked with his usual tact.

Harry didn't answer for a while, his eyes looking at Sirius yet not seeing him.

'My godfather.'

Fixing his hands into his pockets he walked off, a lone figure in the now frigid air.

* * *

_**Well? Not a cliffhanger I know, but I'm slowly building the bridges between Harry and his parents...**_

_**Anyway, just replying to a few reviews here, because it's easier and I'm lazy, ;)**_

_**purrbaby101: Yes, please correct, be my beta, whatever you wish to call it. How do you want to do it though? With my other correcter/beta, we sent each other out emails through private message and now I email her the chapters when they're done, she checks, sends it back, I post. Or I could post the chapter and then you check it.**_

_**Lyne Morgan: Yes Harry would try to get on with them, but he is a very complex character, I mean, look at the way he shouted at Remus in Deathly Hallows when Moony wanted to leave with them instead of staying with Tonks and Teddy. He had a lot of issues to hash out, I can't just have him falling into their arms and becoming best friends! Thanks for the critical review, it allows me to think things through carefully.**_

_**Cristalelle: Thanx for the heads up, it is 1977, as you can see now that I've changed it! As for James not being so arrogant anymore, well Sirius said during seventh year, that doesn't mean form day number one. But I did listen to your advice and tried making James a little less childish in this one.**_

_**Blah (): You did help me, albeit bluntly, in changing a few mistakes. But as for Harry 'asking if Potters are alive at 1970 is pretty stupid' I don't agree. I mean, I can't tell you immediately at the top of my head which year my parents where in which grade of highschool. And Harry had a lot of things to think about, cut him (i.e. moi) some slack. The guy just got sent back in the past.**_

_**Anyway, review with ideas, like if I should have classes or other stuff in next chapter, or if I've made James descent too fast and should backtrack a bit, leave the animosity a bit longer...remember, it's up to you guys!**_


	7. Chapter 7: What Was it With This Time?

Okay, I know I haven't updated for like three weeks, but in my defence, I was writing for this short story competition happening in Dubai and I couldn't give my best if I did both at the same time. And on top of that, I wasn't happy with this chapter, you know when it looks perfectly normal but you just know it's not right? So anyway, I kept on trying to rewrite it until I realised I hadn't posted anything for ages so here you are...Anyway enjoy the chapter. Btw it's one 6000 words chapter which I've separated into two chapters. Doubles the pleasure in my opinion. Anyway thanks goes to the following reviewers for actually jolting me into posting this up:

beautifulandmysterious, Lovealwayshopes, lferg, planeteer-rach, itachisgurl93, Ima, Little Writter, Alicia Spinet, bookdiva96, Reid, story2tell, feyy-cullen-black, Spyridon

I'm sorry for not replying for your reviews, but I thought you would appreciate a new chapter more.

* * *

**Chapter 7: What Was It With This time?**

'_Who did you see die?' Peter asked with his usual tact._

_Harry didn't answer for a while, his eyes looking at Sirius yet not seeing him. _

'_My godfather.'_

_Fixing his hands into his pocket he walked off, a lone figure in the now frigid air._

'Patil, head out of that magazine you're hiding! Now, class, today we are going to explore the basics in detail. I have marked your essays on what you considered dark magic, and I must say…you're all an absolute disgrace.'

Harry gave a small smile as Professor Rayger went off into another rant. He looked around, half of the class had not made it till second lesson, and when some students went to complain about the list he had posted on his door stating which students could return to his lessons, they had come back unnaturally subdued. Harry felt a twinge of satisfaction at the thought that Peter was one of those who had not mahde it back made it back. He had overheard James trying to convince Lupin and Black they should drop the class but Remus had adamantly refused, giving a whole lecture on the importance of DADA this year especially.

'Infinitus…Infinitus!'

Harry gave a jump as he heard the name he was supposed to answer to.

'Uh, yes sir?'

'Respond immediately when I ask you a question.'

'What was the question sir?' Harry asked wearily.

'You impudent rascal! I simply asked for the three unforgivables.'

'Cruciatus, Imperius and the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra.' He recited dully, as he tried to block out the images of the people he had recently seen under each curse.

'And what do they do?'

'Torture, Control, Kill' Harry replied, starting to get annoyed at the way the Professor seemed to be targeting him.

Looking annoyed the Professor replied :

'Correct.' turning around, he continued: 'Now, due to current happenings, Mr. Crouch has allowed me to take teaching into my own hands and train you by using the Unforgivables. Harry heard a few gasps as Lily said:

'Professor, that's illegal!'

'Ms. Evans, are we or are we not in a war? Don't be cowards, I'll not be practicing the cruciatus on you. I just want to train you into repelling the Imperius. Now who want to go first?'

Harry suddenly felt a twinge from his scar and clapped his hand to it, turning white as he felt the pain worsening. Hoping he wouldn't pass out he gripped the table. This was wrong, this was not supposed to be happening. His connection should have stopped with Voldemort when Voldemort had thrown the killing curse at him in the Forbidden Forest. He felt, as if from far away, Voldemort's satisfaction, and his gut tightened, whatever made Voldemort happy would make him angry.

'Harry, are you okay?' As the pain receded he looked into Remus' worried grey eyes.

'I don't think-' Harry replied, taking in deep breaths, but he was interrupted:

'Aah, Mr. Infinitus feeling a little weak hearted?' Rayger seem to be positively gleeful at pouncing on Harry.

'Why don't we try the Imperius to make you feel better?'

Harry looked into his Professor's dark eyes and said quietly, trying not to make a scene:

'I don't think that's a good idea Professor.'

'What's the problem boy? Scared of making a spectacle of yourself in front of your classmates?'

'No.' Harry bit out, 'Is there a reason for singling me out Professor?'

The Professor's eyes took a maniacal glint as he stared at Harry.

'I'm not a Professor Infinitus. I'm an auror and my instincts are telling me you – are- dark.'

Harry laughed, he couldn't help it, a bitter laugh that echoed on the walls, in the dead silent classroom.

'Really? Some people would just love to hear that theory Rayger.' Harry's eyes narrowed as he stood up to face his Professor, 'But not me.'

'Well, true, the Dark Lord does not usually involve 17 years olds who are scared of the Imperius Curse, but your eyes, your eyes tell me a different story.'

Harry felt déjà vu, with a certain Potions Master as he said:

'Tell me Rayger, why do you call Voldemort the Dark Lord? Only Death Eaters do that.'

Rayger snarled: 'Get ready to be embarrassed Infinitus. IMPERIO!'

Harry had been only a few inches from Rayger when he was cursed, there was no way he could have evaded it. He felt the familiar sensation of relaxation, like if nothing mattered anymore.

'Bow to me Infinitus.'

But a strong voice rebelled inside him and he felt his anger mounting at the thought that he had been attacked while being wandless, nevermind the fact that it was a class environment.

'Bow to me...'

He had an image of Voldemort Imperiusing him, Cedric dead, making him bow, bow to his death…

'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' Harry shouted, a loud bang echoing as Rayger was thrown across the room, landing in a heap. Harry panted, wand out, before he realized what he had just done.

'I told you it wasn't a good idea.' He said coldly as he felt the fearful stares of the students around him. Not waiting for the bell he strode out, Divinations next, this was an interesting day.

James watched in surprise as Harry walked out, slamming the door, just as the bell rang,

'Wow, the guy has style and good timing.' Sirius whistled.

James grinned back as they headed to the tower, Infinitus was proving to be more interesting than he had ever suspected him of being. But the grin faded as he entered the Divination room. Professor Cassandra, descendant of the true seer Cassandra was an absolute fraud. All he learnt in this particular classroom was how to manage sleeping while a Professor droned on.

'You want to skip Prongs?' Sirius asked as he looked at the smoky room haughtily.

'I wish, Moony blackmailed me though, only way I'll find out what he got on Infinitus. Can't skip any classes this week.'

'Well at least you have my excellent company and my gifts as the Black Seer.' Sirius proclaimed melodramatically.

James snorted.

'Today we will be exploring the true meanings of orbs. Pair up, pair up and fetch an orb. Make sure to allow the light to aid you in choosing your Orb.' Harry yawned as he gazed sleepily at a scarily close version of Professor Trelawney.

'You mind if I sit here?'

A calm voice asked and Harry raised his eyes to Remus holding an orb carefully with both hands. What was he playing at? The Marauders had made it clear Harry was not welcome. Realising he was staring, Harry nodded. Then frowning, he resumed his sate of semi-consciousness.

'Are you any good with this?' Remus asked curiously.

He watched the boy snort with a casual elegance reminding him of James. But then lots of Harry's unconscious actions reminded him of James. He was slowly trying to gather information, the school grapevine not being at all useful for once in elucidating the mystery of who Harry really was.

'So what do you think of Hogwarts until now?' He asked curiously, ignoring the stares he was receiving from the other three Marauders. Harry seemed oblivious to them as he smiled,

'It's home.' He said simply.

'Yeah, it does seem that way. Hogwarts for me was a chance I was not expecting.' He watched Harry carefully and discerned much more understanding in those startling green eyes of his than was normal.

'Was your old school very different? You mentioned Dumstrang.'

'What? Oh yeah, um, yeah kind of, Dumstrang centers much more on the Dark Arts, right? I mean, it does centre…' He trailed off, a faint blush appearing.

Remus' eyes narrowed and he tried not to sound like he was interrogating him as he asked:

'But you must miss the friends you left there, I mean, you didn't break all contact.'

He knew immediately he had gone too far, too fast, as he watched the laughter in Harry's eyes die and a withdrawn expression on his face that he knew himself so well.

'They're fine.'

Remus sighed and looked back at the crystal Orb they were supposed to see their future in. Next to them Sirius and James were making mystical sounds as James predicted Sirius would become Prime-minster of magic.

'Potter, Black, you are disturbing the mystical waves in this room.' Professor Cassandra whispered harshly.

Remus grinned and turned around to see what Harry thought of his friends antics but he was not even listening. For the second time this day the blonde boy had turned completely white, a hand covering his forehead as his eyes turned glassy. Any doubt that he was faking it vanished as he whimpered in pain.

'Harry? Harry are you okay? Harry!' Remus said loudly. Suddenly Harry's eyes flashed and he stared at Remus as if seeing him for the first time. Unfortunately, everyone else did too.

'I- I'm fine, just- a head ache' Harry answered weakly just as Professor Cassandra swooped in.

'What is it boy, did you have a vision? Concentrate!' She said as she grasped Harry's hand.

Harry shook her off, 'I said I'm fine, didn't see anything. Blank as a slate. Actually blanker than a slate. I could never see anything-'

He was interrupted by Cassandra's sharp gasp and Remus saw her whiten, 'My poor poor boy!' She said as she caressed the orb in front, which still looked as cloudy as anything to Remus. 'You have the grim.'

Most of the students gasped at her words, and Remus saw a hint of satisfaction in her eyes at the effect her words had. Harry on the other hand started laughing. The same harsh laugh Remus had heard a few times already. He didn't know if he believed his professor about the grim, but to laugh? Cassandra seemed to have the same ideas as she eyed the boy with bewildered eyes.

'Why are you laughing Infinitus. The grim is-'

In the same cold hard voice he had used on Rayger Harry said:

'I know exactly what the grim is Professor. My last Divination Professor predicted me the grim in my third year, so you're a bit late. Be sure to know you'll be invited to my funeral if it ever does come to be.'

Silence etched in the classroom when a small voice asked:

'Professor what is the grim?' She opened her mouth but Harry replied faster to Lily's hesitant question.

'It's death; apparently if I see a big black dog I should just suicide because I'll die anyway.'

Remus noticed how Harry's eyes almost involuntarily flickered to James and Sirius, and he had a horrible premonition, that Harry, Harry might actually know something. He was in their dorm room after all. But his attention was taken as the bell rang, and Harry got up and strode outside, a worried Lily calling out after him.

* * *

Harry did not know how his day could get worse. First Rayger, then Cassandra. What was it with this time? He already had enough to cope with. Things like why he still had a connection to Voldemort. He was no longer a Horcrux. He was no longer a parceltongue, although he had yet to test that theory. So how could he still be having visions about Voldemort? In Divination and DADA he had felt Voldemort's happiness, seen his exultation in the cold lonely hall. And whatever it was he was happy about Harry knew he would not like it.

What was interesting was the fact that for once, Voldemort was operating without minions. He had not seen Death Eaters crowding around him or a younger version of Voldemort. That meant that whatever he had said, whatever rules they had broken by entering this time, Voldemort still felt reluctant to change too many things in the past. He had not contacted his younger self yet, which meant he was keeping a low profile. Come to think of it, he had no clue just how powerful Voldemort was in this time. He could not let himself affect the timeline, everything was exactly how it should be, but hell, Harry thought grimly, just by coming here, everything was changing. Sighing he headed back to the common room, if Transfiguration was anyting like his two previous classes, he was going to skip.

* * *

A few rooms away, in the dormitory, four Marauders were having an interesting conversation.

'James come on, we're going to miss Transfiguration!' Remus begged.

'No, Moony, I'm skipping Transfiguration, so are you by the way.' He announced carelessly as he sat down next to Sirius.

'Why though?' Peter asked nervously.

'Because, it's bad for your health not to skip once in a while. Plus, Moony is going to tell us all he found out about Harry. I can't wait a whole week Moony.' He whined as he saw Remus' frown. 'I mean seriously, the kid comes out and baffles us, the Marauders, he deserves a few minutes of your time.' Seeing Remus capitulating he continued. 'Now, Moony, did you compile the list of all weird things Harry?'

'I thought the name was the Infinitus Mystery.'

'No, I came up with the idea, I choose.' James replied. 'So Moony, you said you were doing research, what did you find?'

Sighing, Remus sat on the opposite bed. 'Well, for one thing, I haven't found any evidence of him going to Dumstrang. I checked all the records. Harry himself, when I talked to him in Divinations while you guys were staring holes in my back is a very bad liar. He could hardly remember he was supposed to be coming form Dumstrang.'

'So where is he from? He must have been taught somewhere.' Sirius spoke up. 'I mean, as much as I hate to admit, he was wicked against Rayger.'

'He wasn't that great.' James sulked; Defence was one of his best subjects.

'Who do you know that can throw off an Imperius? I swear, the look he gave Rayger after he was attacked.'

'There's something dangerous about him.' Peter announced grandly.

James rolled his eyes, 'Next thing we know you'll be telling us he's a death eater.'

At Peter's and Sirius' silence to the statement he gaped. 'No. come on, a Death Eater? He's too young for one thing-'

'Youth doesn't have anything to do with it, James.' Sirius said in an oddly serious voice, (no pun intended).

'Yeah, but he was sorted into Gryffindor.'

'That doesn't make him one of us immediately; the hat could have made a mistake.'

'Sirius mate, come on, I know you didn't like his comment about Blacks, but the guy did save me from a mauling.'

'How did he know about the Blacks anyway?' Peter piped up.

'The Blacks are kind of notorious Peter. Anyway, moving along, I heard a conversation between Lily and Harry, apparently he is here incognito. And if we tie it to the letter it also makes sense, whoever Hermione and Ron are, they do not know Harry is here.'

'Yeah, speaking of the letter, didn't you guys find it weird?' Sirius asked. 'I mean all the deaths he talks about, and the way he talked about Hogwarts.'

'Well we know what we have to do, befriend him, remember what your dear mother used to say Sirius? Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer.'

'What if he's Dumbledore's spy?' Peter exclaimed loudly and randomly.

At that moment, the door opened and the topic of the conversation walked in, stopped dead when he saw them and asked:

'Who's Dumbledore's spy?'

Trying to save the moment Sirius replied: 'Shouldn't you be in class Infinitus? Don't want to get in trouble.'

Harry gave a crooked grin, and for a moment, Remus thought he was looking at James, minus the hair and the eyes.

'As my friend Ron would say, it's healthy to skip class once in a while.'

Remus stayed silent, wondering about the chances of Infinitus having heard their conversation, but decided he hadn't, having found out about Harry's temper, he was sure he would have blown up at them. Meanwhile, James seemed to have concocted a plan.

'Well In- Harry, why don't you join us in Truth or Dare, we were just about to play.'

Harry looked at them warily, but nodded.

'Okay, Sirius, get the truth ball out.'

'Truth ball?' Harry asked uncertainly.

'Haven't you ever played Truth or Dare?' James asked surprised.

'Yeah, but not the wizard kind, I was brought up by Muggles.'

James whistled, and said: 'Well it's simple, it's just a lie detector,' taking out the ball Sirius handed he presented it to Harry, 'it turns red if you lie.' And smiled evilly.

Harry looked around wildly, as if to try and get himself out of this obvious trap, and Remus rolled his eyes as James frog marched him to the bed.

'Now sit.'

'I- I just remembered, I have this-'

'Harry, we don't even need a truth ball where you're concerned, you're just horrible at lying,' he watched in amazement as the boy with eyes exactly like Lily's, could they be related, blushed red before sighing and leaned back on the bed, trying to avoid the four pair of eyes staring avidly at him.

So who starts?' Harry asked heavily.

'Jeesh, relax, it's not a death warrant. The truth ball decides actually.'

True enough, a red arrow grew in the smoky interior of the ball, and Harry watched in amazement as it indicated a direction, from him to James.

'Truth or Dare?' he asked. Payback was fun.

'Going by the evil glint in your eyes, I shall bravely say Dare.'

'Ask Lily out tonight, at dinner, or sing your undying love to the Slytherins at the Gryffindor table.'

James gasped at the knowing smile around Harry's lips, 'You evil- Lily will kill me, I swear, last time I tried to-'

'Who said we would play truth or dare again?' Harry asked Sirius innocently.

Sirius grinned back, apparently this boy had a sense of humor.

'I guess we could just stop the game.'

'No!' James answered, 'I'll do it, I'll do it. Next person.'

They watched as the arrow, turned around lazily until it pointed from Remus to Harry.

'Truth or d-'

Harry cut him wirh 'Truth,' it seemed safer, but then, seeing the triumphant gleams in Sirius and James' eyes, he wondered if he had made the wrong decision.'

'Mmm, I have so many things to ask, James, Sirius a bit of help.'

'Ask him how he got so good at Quidditch.'

'No Prongs, not that, ask him how he got so good at Defense Against the Dark Arts.'

'Who are Hermione and Ron?' Remus asked thoughtfully.

Harry frowned, 'How do you know-'

'I believe it is my turn to ask the questions.'

'They're my best friends, I mean, back at Dumstrang.' The boys looked at the truth ball as it slowly turned red, then looked back at Harry.

'You want to try that again?'

Harry, surprised repeated:' But they are, they've been my best friends ever since we met in the Ho- when I was 11.'

This time the ball stayed clear, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

'Hmm, Interesting, okay next turn.'

It was Sirius to Peter.

'Mmm, truth or dare?'

'Truth' Peter said wisely.

'Oh come on Wormtail, truth is boring; I already know everything about you.'

'I said truth.'

'Fine, were you the one who locked Mrs Norris in the Potions cabinet last week?'

Harry snorted; he had suspected it was one of the Marauders as Peter nodded.

'Right, okay next one.' It was Sirius to Harry.

'Dare.' Harry said immediately, not wanting to know what question Sirius would think of.

'Right, umm, what would I should I dare the new transfer student?' Sirius chanted, grinning as his fingers tapped his chin.

'Oh, I know! Hex Snape in class tommorrow, in DADA.'

'No.' Harry said implacably.

'Oh come on Harry, it's just a dare.' Sirius whined.

'No.' Harry said coolly, no one could mistake his resolve.

'Fine,' Sirius said grumpily, 'as you forfeit, you now have to asnwer two truths.'

'Is that even in the rules?' Harry protested weakly.

'Yes, now why did you really transfer here and how did you get that scar.'

Harry gulped. And he wildly thought for a half lie.

'I needed a change from the my-'

"Uhum' Remus, coughed, pointedly looking at the truth ball. It was red.

'Harry, you do know the whole point of this game is not to lie.'

Harry looked at the four people around him, and a feeling of helplessness tried to take over. What was he doing playing games with his past? This would mess him up so deeply if he ever came back to his time. But the four Maurauders were still looking at him with expectant to suspicious faces.

What the hell, Harry thought, my future is already messed up.

'It was an accident; I was not supposed to arrive here. I was supposed to die. Something wrong with a spell. Now I'm stuck until we find a way back home. As for the scar, I was hit by a dark curse when I was a baby, it can't be removed.' The boys stared in silence, as Harry stood up, smiled tightly, and continued: 'That was an interesting game Marauders, hope you found out enough about me. '

And as he strode out, they noticed the ball had stayed a clear transparent.

Sirius whistled. 'Wow, the guy seemed to be allergic to straight answers. I'm impressed though. What kind of spell can Harry had messed up for him to actually be sent he-'

'It doesn't make sense.' Remus said quietly yet audible. 'It just doesn't make sense.'

'What doesn't Moony?' James asked.

Remus got up to pace, 'He says he got sent here by a spell, at Hogwarts, but you can't apparate in Hogwarts. And now with the magical wards they placed to protect the school against You-Know-Who, it is nearly impossible to get in. I don't even think Dumbledore can leave and enter without going through Hogsmeade.'

'Well, maybe he did come to Hogsmeade.'

'So if an accidental spell sent Harry to Hosmeade why would he go to Hogwarts? And I don't get why he doesn't just leave, I mean apparate with a Professor.

'Well, anyway, there's one thing we did find out. Harry is hiding something. Or a few things. It's a regular Marauder mission to expose these, or at least find them out.'

'James…'

'Come on Moony, let's do a day each, me and Sirius will tail him today, Moony and Wormtail, you'll do tomorrow.'

'Fine.' Moony sighed, 'but I don't like this. We have no right to pry into things Harry wants to hide.'

'But it might help him, look how happy you are we found out about your furry little problem.'

* * *

Harry stared at his dinner glassy eyes, not even the treacle tart could entice him, as he tried to decide how close he should get to the Marauders. Staying as far away as emotionally possible would be the smart thing to do. But to be part of their lives, to hear them laugh and prank and just... live. Like a moth to a flame he felt he was going to continue in this path of self destruction.

'Harry!' he looked up to see a concerned Lily.

'That's the third time I call you, are you okay?' He faked a smile as he plunged into the treacle tart.

'Mmmh, yeah, perfect.'

At that moment Sirus slid in the empty seat next to him as James moved opposite next to Lily. Harry choked on the bite he had taken at their appearance, as Sirius bracingly hit his back. Was James going to execute the dare?

'You okay Harry?' Sirius asked as James smiled brightly at a disgruntled Lily.

'I swear James, if you're here to prank either of us, I will-'

'Lily-flower, that hurts.' James said theatrically. 'I would never prank either of you.'

'Riight, and the broomstick the other day was just wandering around.'

'That was Sirius.' James said promptly.

Harry and James grinned instantaneously and Sirius frowned at them.

'You sure you're not related to James Harry? You guys sometimes freak me out by your resemblance.'

Harry laughed uneasily. But was saved an answer as a midnight black owl swooped in and dropped a package in the middle of the foursome on the table. Lily frowned as she saw her name in an elegant scrawl on the package.

'Hey Lil's, your mom couldn't wait until breakfast to smother you with love?'

'My mom is a muggle James, she, she doesn't use owls. I wonder why they would..' Lily trailed off as she started ripping off the packaging, Harry patiently forced the treacle tart in his mouth, he couldn't see inside from where he was sitting anyway. Suddenly Lily gasped,

'It's beautiful!'

'Wha-s it?' Harry asked, his mouth full.

'A necklace. But who would...'

Sirius whistled, 'Who's it from?' And he quickly stole the card form Lily's outstretched hands.

'Hey, Sirius give that back.'

'I need to alert James if he has competition. Hang on…'

Harry leaned over as Sirius frowned. His insides froze as he saw the elegant script:

_Don't forget 31 October 1981 can always change..._

How could he have forgotten? Out of the corner of his eyes, in slow motion, he saw Lily reach for the gift as he shouted, 'NO' springing over the table, trying to reach the package before Lily. Lily had slowly raised her wide eyes to him shocked, but it was too late, her hand had already touched it as he fell over her, both rolling down onto the floor.

* * *

Sigh. Now the cliffhanger is ruined as I posted the next chapter up at the same time. Anyway, how about you guys give me a double review since it is technically two chapters. I mean seriously, the amount of story alerts and favorite alerts make me glad but less so when they don't come with a review. I mean, just write: good if you want, but reviews are food for fanfic writers...as well as chocolate. And right now, I can count my faithful, kind amazing reviewers on my fingers.. I think.

Btw, if purrbaby101 is reading this, please get back to me about beta-ing, if you're still interested, I don't really have time to reread my work...


	8. Chapter 8: Locked in Memories

Yeah, I know, shorter chapter, but I thought I should put it separately because its important in the Harry/Sirius relationship of the past. Btw, I lost this part, and then I rewrote it but it's hurried. Anyway, enjoy:

* * *

**Chapter 8: Locked in Memories**

_Harry leaned over as Sirius frowned. His insides froze as he saw the elegant script:_

_Don't forget 31 October 1981 can always change..._

_How could he have forgotten? Out of the corner of his eyes, in slow motion, he saw Lily reach for the gift as he shouted, 'NO' springing over the table, trying to reach the package before Lily. Lily had slowly raised her wide eyes to him shocked, but it was too late, her hand had already touched it as he fell over her, both rolling down onto the floor._

James watched had watched in shock as Harry's eyes had widened in horrow over whatever was written over the note, then jumping on Lily. He was about to ask him what had gotten to him, but before that, both Lily and Harry had started rising in the air, head thrown backward, and suddenly a scream erupted from both of them. There was no doubt they were both in huge pain.

'Lily? Lily? Harry! What's wrong?' But Harry did not could nto answer as he thrashed in the air under the gazes of everyone in the great hall.

Suddenly they fell lifeless with a bang, on the floor. At that moment Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall arrived.

"what happened?' Dumbledore asked in a more serious voice, no glint in his eyes.

'P-professor. Lily got this necklace he said about to show it when McGonagall barked shrilly if that was possible: 'Don't touch that.'

Startled James turned to see her, he face was pale as she carefully picked up the necklace in the packaging.

'Albus…this is…this is dark magic. I-'

'Not now Minerva…we need to take care of them. He waved Harry and Lily in the air, and strode out of the hall with their bodies floating in front of him. Shaken, James asked quietly: 'Will they be okay Professor?'

Looking gravely at him she said:' I do not know.' Then she too strode out.

Turning to the the three shocked pairs of eyes looking at him James gulped. Giving them a sign, they got up, and eclipsed themselves from under the now loudly whispering great hall.

As soon as they were out of hearing range James asked: 'Sirius, what was on the note?'

Grimly, his friend handed it to him, with Remus peering over his shoulders. James looked up puzzled, what does it mean though? How would this tell him the necklace was dangerous. Why would they attack Lily?'

'Calm down James!'

'What if the package was for Harry?' Peter said timidly.

'Wormtail please, it had Lily's name on it, and who send Harry a necklace? His boyfriend.'

'Well, we'll find out more about this when Harry wakes up, for now, let's just get got to bed.'

James nodded wearily, concern etched on his face as Sirius muttered: 'If he wakes up.'

* * *

A day passed, another one, a week, and still there was no Harry and Lily in their classes. Rumors filtering from the infirmary were not particularly good. It was said that Harry and Lily had been isolated. A fifth year Ravenclaw who had recently been there swore he overheard an argument between Pomfrey and Dumbledore about moving them St Mungoes. The Slytherins on the other hand walked around as if they owned the place, but with James so worried about Lily, the Marauders didn't even have the heart to prank them. Finally, the seventh night of James moping, Sirius exclaimed:

'Prongs, snap out of it, Lily will be fine.'

Remus looked disapproving, 'You guys don't care about Harry? He's in coma because he tried to save Lily. '

'F'course we do,' Sirius said bracingly, 'Come on James, get the cloak, we'll sneak in and see if they're any better.'

James' eyes lit up at the idea and Remus did not have the heart to protest. Soon, four students were scurrying down the corridors. But just as they entered the infirmary, they stopped dead, voices could be heard. Sirius grumbled quietly whispering:

'I told you you should have taken the map.'

'Shhhh.' Remus said as he strained to hear the conversation.

'-the boy saved her life. '

'You mean-'

'Yes, somehow he managed to transfer alot of the curse she brushed her hand across into him, otherwise she would be dead right now.'

James breath hitched, and in the muted light, he saw Dumbledore look curiously behind Madam Promfreys back but, after a few baited breath from the Marauders he turned back.

'Have you identified the curse itself? I have administered calming potions and I had to tranquilize Harry several times. He seems to react to it very strongly. Lily I believe is safe, she woke up a few times already, but, I don't know about Harry. He, I've never seen this sort of dark magic. I had to put him in a magical coma to stop him form hurting himself.

'Aaah, yes. That is because, I can only infer of course, but it seems the artifact they touched brings out the wizards worst memories and make them relive the moments over and over again increasing any guilt they had in it. Harry I believe has had his share of moments.'

'Dumbledore, we need to bring him into St. Mungoes. He might-'

'Pomfrey, I cannot tell you everything, but Harry is only safe at Hogwarts, if he goes to St Mungoes he will need identification and papers, and I am afraid we cannot do that right now.

'So what do we do? He's already finished all my dreamless potions-'

'Oh, for that, well, I have found a possible solution. Mr Potter? Can you come here?'

James jumped violently at the same time as Pomfrey.

'James, come on, your friends too I believe.'

Sheepishly, the Marauders got off from under the cloak.

'Now I would normally admonish you for eavesdropping, but it is understandable you sneak in to see your friends. In fact I was counting on it, now come along, you may be able to help.'

Puzzled, the Marauders followed their eccentric Headmaster silently as he led them through the lighted infirmary, to the very end, where a room had been magically added. Inside, James gasped slightly as he saw Lily and Harry on beds, motionless.

'Lily!' he said loudly as he went to her side, taking her motionless hands.

'Mr. Potter, Ms. Evans is fine, Poppy put her in a dreamless sleep, so that she can get rest but she is fine.'

'Then why…'

'I believe Mr. Infinitus is a patient too.' Dumbledore said disapprovingly.

James blushed, 'Ah, yeah, I'm sorry, I- I just was worried.'

'It is comprehensible, but listen carefully. Harry is trapped, in his own memories. I am going enter his mind, using Legilimency, and take you inside James.'

'But can't you do it without me?' James asked curiously.

'Harry unconsciously doesn't trust me completely. I am hoping that things will be different if he sees, in a manner of speaking, a more familiar face.'

'But, I'm not, I mean, we're not best friends or anything.'

'Oh believe me Potter, Harry trusts you a lot.'

'Fine, what must I do?'

'Just take my hand, take Harry's, empty your head, let me enter.'

James did as he was told and suddenly felt an alien presence in his head, he had to resist agains his first impulse of pushing it out. The Presence spoke to him.

_Imagine a door, imagine, Harry's consciousness is behind that door. Now open it._

As it was speaking to him, a door formed, and James imagined himself opening it carefully.

As it was speaking to him, a door formed, and James imagined himself opening it carefully. Suddenly he was sucked inside, like a pensieve, into memories that were not his own. He saw flashes, Dementors... Harry bleeding... an archway... he got closer to it, feeling Dumbledore following him; people fighting... a veil in the middle... Death Eaters... a mad laugh... suddenly he felt a battering force, a desperate one forcing him back.

_No, no, no, no,_ it just kept chanting.

James suddenly found himself on the floor, breathing harshly, his head pounding. He saw Dumbledore leaning against the bed.

'What happened?' Sirius asked worriedly.

'Harry, pushed us out. He did not believe you were you from the thoughts I could see. And perhaps, I shouldn't have followed you inside.'

'I think, I think he thought I was a Death eater. At the last moment, that's what I heard, a thought of his...'

Dumbledore sighed, but then, suddenly, his eyes narrowed on Sirius.

'James, did you see an archway?'

'Ye-yeah I think, it was weird, I was fighting it seems, and there was a man, fighting with me, looked like Sirius's father. What did it-'

'Hmm, Mr Black, would you mind doing the same thing James tried.

'Yeah,' he replied gingerly, 'but I don't see how it will work any better, if anything, it will be wor-'

'Mr Black, Harry's time is running out.'

'Er, right,' slowly, Sirius grasped Harry's limp hand, closing his eyes.

'Good, now take my hand, imagine a room, a door. Imagine Harry is behind the door, locked by memories. This time I shall not enter with you, just facilitate the connection, in a manner of speaking.'

Like James, Sirius felt Dumbledore's presence in his mind, nudging him in the right direction. He saw the door more than he imagined it. And gingerly, he imagined himself turning the knob. A mental force pushed him him back. As Sirius tried again, the force got stronger, and Sirius could feel an underlying sense of anger in it, increasing.

_It is too late Sirius, get out now._ Dumbledore's presence instructed worriedly.

But no one closed a door in Sirius' face.

_Harry, if you don't open the door now, I swear I will break it down!_

Surprisingly, as if against it's own will, the door opened, and Sirius started falling... flashes of memories and sound around him.

_There is no such things as wiza…James would have found the risk fun…Kill me now…You're a great wizard…._And the voices continued, hauntingly familiar.

_Harry, where are you?_

He shouted to the void, perhaps stupidly. Suddenly Sirius found himself on cold black marble floor. Wincing at the pain, he slowly got up, then gasped as he saw James, sitting on one of two seat, rocking backwards and forward looking at something behind him.

_James?! What are you doing here?_

But James didn't answer, glassy eyed and rocking.

_James?_ Sirius asked again uncertainly, but as he approached, he gasped again, this time in shock. The black haired hunched up youth was Harry, he could recognize those green eyes anywhere.

_Harry! Finally! You need to get out of here, now! Professor Dumbledore is worried and so are we, you're not waking up and…_ Sirius trailed off seeing Harry was not listening, still rocking forward and backward, eyeing the scene behind Sirius.

Slowly he turned around…to see a memory of Harry's, as if through a sheet of water, the sound distorted. It was a dark room, torches lit, there was Harry, in the middle of the room, next to a stone archway, handing over something to a blonde haired man that looked unpleasantly like Lucius' father. Cloaked men were dotted around, evidently holding teenagers in their grasp. Sirius watched in fascination as the scene developed, wizards apparating, curses flying. The fight seemed to be against the hooded people and the arriving wizards. The teenagers were also fighting, and Sirius watched as Harry dueled, next to a black haired man. And seeing him fight, Sirius saw their DADA teacher didn't have a chance. He had completely forgotten about Harry, until suddenly, it happened.

The black haired man fighting alongside Harry with graceful elegance, whose face he couldn't quite see in the gloom, was hit. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The man slowly falling back, Harry reaching out, his shout distorted as he tried to reach him through the veil, another man holding him back. Sirius wished he could hear what they were saying exactly, as Harry shouted something and rushed after the witch who had thrown it.

At that point Harry gave a moan, rocking faster, but not able to look away from his own nightmare. Sirius felt a rush of disgust as he realized he had done what only a Black would do, sneak into someone's worse memories while the person was incapacitated. Turning around to Harry, he shook him.

_Harry! Harry, it's not real, it's not real. Heck what are my supposed to say to you!? Darn the Headmaster and his solutions._ _Uhh…Harry, look, if you don't snap out of it, I will- I will- I will continue watching all your memories, and then tell all the school, and you won't be able to hold your dark secretive image anymore!_

But Harry just ignored him, unable to hear him. Sirius peeked behind him to see Harry, standing with a girl, in front of a grave, tears coursing down his face, lips clamped shut, and so much pain in his face Sirius could not bear it anymore. Looking resolutely at Harry he raised his fist and slammed it into Harry's jaw. Harry's chair actually fell backwards, as Sirius nursed his fist, Harry's face was surprisingly hard. Harry slowly got up, rubbing his jaw and looking at Sirius angrily.

_What the hell are you doing?_

_I'm saving you you idiot!_

_From what? My chair?_

_You were locked in this kind of trance, with these mem-_

Sirius waved to the scene behind him, only to see, behind the rippling blanket of seeming water; Harry pinned to some kind of statue, a man with a knife drawing blood.

_What the hell!_

Harry jumped on Sirius, bringing him down,

_Don't look. Shut it off. Now!_

_I can't! These are your memories._

_What do I do?_

_I don't know._

The Harry in front of him rubbed his forehead as he said:

_I'm locked inside here right? My body is asleep?_

Sirius nodded grimly.

_Look, I have an idea, get out of here, and say something that will jolt me back. I can feel myself, there are hundreds of me stuck in rooms like this one, looking at…_Harry's face twisted in pain_._

_What do I say?_

_Uh….tell m- tell Harry: Sirius is alive._

_But that's me._

_Yeah, genius. He will wake up at that, that should be the most recurrent memory._

_Right, and if it doesn't work, you get out of here by yourself, I can't resist the temptation of looking…_Sirius trailed off guiltily.

_Don't forget to say it, if anything should shake Harry, it's that. Now get out of here.... And Sirius, Harry won't remember any of this, it would be a good idea you didn't tell him you saw some of his worst memories, he has a bad temper. _

The words echoed as Sirius found himself again in the turbulent flashes, he caught a sight of red hair..a laugh...someone shouting Harry's name...a smile....

And suddenly, he was back. He coughed loudly as he held on to the bed frame, for a moment feeling completely weakened.

'Sirius? Are you alright?' This time it was James worried as he tried to support his friend.

'M'fine'

Turning to the pale faced boy on the bed; the pale faced boy now sporting a bruise on his jaw, he bent down, low, until his lips nearly touched the side of Harry's face and he whispered audibly:

'Sirius is alive.'

He then looked expectantly at the still dormant Harry. A few seconds passed but Harry did not open his eyes.

'Harry! Don't make me bloody punch you again. He's alive!'

Patience had never been a Black trait.

A sudden whisper passed through the blonde-haired boy's lips. And green eyes fluttered open.

'Sir-rius…' The five individuals in the room breathed a sigh of relief.

'Well done Mr. Black.' Dumbledore said quietly, 'I suggest you all go troop to bed, Harry needs to rest and you still have class tomorrow. The boys groaned as they turned to leave. But a weak movement held back Sirius' hand.

'Don't leave me alone…'

* * *

So what do you think? A bit different from the previous chapters. Anyway, ignore all the mistakes until I can find a beta please. Oh and in one of the next chapters, someone or some people will be appearing from Harry's time. But I can't decide who, so any ideas? Sirius was my first choice, even if he's dead, but that would mean two Siriuses, and Harry's relationship with he young Sirius might slow down if the older one appears. If it's Ron and Hermione, well, Harry won't be as much part of the Marauders...Luna or Neville was another idea...Anway tell me what you guys think....


	9. Chapter 9: Hit me!

So I've posted this chapter, like a week after the last ones, I feel pretty good about myself. This chapter isn't that action packed but it's important for the development of the story, so bear with it. Thanks goes to the following reviewers:

midnight child 13, lferg, Alicia Spinet, WeatherWatch, beautifulandmysterious, itachisgurl93, jonove120, The Colorful Crow, Alex, Bloody Phantom, story2tell, Ima, loretta537, pearlmon18 Especially to: planeteer-rach,amaramichelle and meNyou.2 for their double review.

Your suggestions have all been noted, I'm leaning toward two characters right now but I won't ruin the surprise, besides, I might change my mind at the hand of one of your reviews. Anyway, enjoy this chapter:

* * *

**Chapter 9: Hit me!**

Harry held out his hand to another disgusting potion of Pomfrey's with bad grace. He had woken up a few days ago, and yet still everyone wanted to treat him like a fragile kitten. Even Lily had been allowed out of the infirmary but they had actually threatened him with magically imprisoning him to the bed, if he so much as moved a toe.

'Don't make such a face Harry,' a worried Lily had just appeared at the doorway, a bunch of flowers in her hand.

'You would too, if you were so bored you were actually wishing for clouds to move faster. Oh no,' Harry groaned as he saw the flowers, 'No more flowers, I feel like I've been buried. Next thing we know, you'll be coming here in black.'

Lily laughed, and Harry loved to hear her laugh, making her laugh…He could not remember anything from the moment he had thrown himself over Lily, but he must have done something right if she was still in front of him.

'You can't blame them Harry, what you did, it's all over the school, I mean, Professor Dumbledore told everyone at dinner how you saved my life and how everyone should leave you alone when you come out.'

'If I ever come out.' Harry said darkly, as he mentally reminded himself of the need to talk to the Headmaster. If Dumbledore was here that meant he must have found out something while researching Grindelwald's books.

'Well, I talked to Madam Pomfrey…..Apparently she'll release you today later on if you take all the potions she assigned you.'

Harry snapped back to Lily, smiling widely, 'Couldn't you just have told me that instead of letting me mourn my fate.'

'Well, about that, Harry you know its Hogmeades tomorrow?'

'What, really?' Harry wondered what it would look like, years in the past, would Zonkos be there already?

'So what do you think Harry?'

'What do I think what?' Harry asked bewildered.

'Harry Infinitus, I just asked you if you wanted to go out with me tommorrow to Hogsmeade and you ignored me? James would kill for this chance.'

The said James, who had been about enter, stopped dead, listening.

'And that is one of the reasons I don't want to go on date with you.' Harry said, still a bit shell-shocked and wondering just on how many levels the invitation was wrong.

'What do you mean,' Lily asked, not looking sad but quite put out.

'Look at the way your thoughts are running, the only reason you'd think like this is if you were trying to make James jealous by going out with me.'

'I thought no such thing!' Lily denied as James, from behind the door listened with intent seriousness.

'Come on Lils, you don't have to pretend with me, you're starting to like him.' And he gave her a grin so like James she forgot what she was going to defend herself with.

'You-you're wrong- what are the other reasons you don't want to go out with me?' Lily said, blushing slightly, now she was seeing James everywhere.

'Well, secondly, the Marauders would probably kill me if I took the date.' Harry said with the air of a person pondering over breakfast. 'And I have a very strong instinct of self-preservation.'

'So you're not going out with me because you're scared of them.'

Harry smiled gently at the red haired girl in front, 'I didn't say that and you know it isn't true, if you haven't noticed, I've been trying to befriend some of the Marauders, I believe, after what I heard James and Sirius did, to try and save me, I can call them friends, or at least not enemies. And I don't steal other people's girlfriends.'

'I am NOT his-'

'And thirdly,' Harry continued, 'I don't like you that way.' Seeing Lily's face, he added softly:'I love you Lils, just, let's say as a friend. I know that concept would be impossible for James or Sirius to understand though, so keep it quiet.'

Harry saw with some surprise, slight relief in Lily's face before she came close to him, peering.

'You told me you didn't have a girlfriend.' She said accusingly.

Harry looked at her bewildered, 'I don't.'

'Yes you do, there's someone, I just know it! Harry, best friends don't lie to each other.'

Harry smiled slightly at the words best friends, but decided to answer her as truthfully as he could.

'There is someone, they'll always be her. But she is not my girlfriend.'

'You got rejected?' Lily asked amazed.

'No, she- I was involved in the war against Voldemort,' Lily didn't even flinch at the name, 'And, I didn't want her to be used against me, we decided it was for the best.' Well more like I decided, Harry though grimly.

'How can you just say You-Know-Who's name though? I mean, I'm muggle born, so I don't really get freaked out when I hear his real name but most people…' she trailed off.

'Fear of a name always increases fear of the thing itself,' Harry chanted.

Lily suddenly asked: 'What's her name? The girl who is not your girlfriend, what is she like?'

'Why are you so interested all of a sudden?'

'Well, best friends know everything about each other right?'

She said too innocently, Harry sighed:'Her name is Ginny, she's a lot like you, bad temper, red hair. She has 6 older brothers, one of them, Ron, is my best mate. She is a darn good hexer and rarely cries.'

'Wow…you really love her don't you...' Lily said softly, looking in Harry's eyes.

Wanting to snap the dreamy look in Lily's eyes he said: 'You know Lily, I don't want to date you, but we could go out as friends.'

Behind the doors, James silently retreated, a warm feeling in his chest at what Harry had just done, and a a bit of guilt knowing they would have hated to be eavesdropped.

* * *

As promised, Madam Pomfrey allowed Harry to escape her clutches before dinner. However she did not let him leave before giving him five different potions to take for a week, instructions on when exactly to drink them, twice, and threats about what she would do to him if he so much as forgot to take one of them. Finally, Harry was out. He felt a surge of energy and the only class left was Defence Against Dark Arts; something he was definitely going to miss. After depositing the potions in the dorm room, and narrowly escaping being seen by a professor, Harry decided he had better take himself out until dinner. He had soon localized the brooms outside the castle, and though they all looked rather ancient, he chose one at random and set off in the sky.

Harry relaxed as he flew lazy circles, his thoughts wandering under the crisp evening air. He was years in the past, faces of the dead looking at him, speaking with him, hell, asking him on dates, and yet, here, flying though the slowly darkening night, candles already lit in the castle, nothing seemed to have changed. Hermione would be in the library, researching one topic or another. Ron would be coming over the pitch right now, yelling at Harry, probably telling him he was late for dinner. There would be Gryffindors, people he had grown up with, Seamus, Dean. A sudden intense feeling of longing seized him and Harry gave a snort. He would have given up anything to see parents, Remus or Sirius again, and now, he was missing his world, despite all the bad memories.

It was just that he didn't really know the people of this world, they didn't know him and…he couldn't breathe a word of all of this. But that wasn't the real reason, Harry mused as he executed a few laps around the pitch, flying as fast as the broom would take him. He couldn't really accept them, because to accept them meant he would lose them all over again, but this time he didn't know if he would survive the pain…

* * *

The Marauders had been unusually quiet for a group of pranksters the week after they had been asked to save Harry by Professor Dumbledore. Remus and Peter had always been naturally quiet, Sirius was brooding all the time, and James was worried about his best friend. The day Harry got released James finally broached the subject.

'Sirius, you alright?'

'Mmh' Sirius replied noncommittally, sitting on the dorm room's window sill, staring outside, forehead on the window pane.

A few moments of silence, then James asked again:

'Sirius, are you alright?'

'Mmmh,' Sirius replied before shaking his head, just realizing James had repeated the same annoying question twice.

'Sirius?'

'What?! What are you looking at? Do I have something on my face?' Sirius asked, turning around to the three staring Marauders.

'Um, no,' Remus said hesitantly, 'You've just been very distant and moody since…well since you got into Harry's head.'

Sirius opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it, sighing. The truth was, what he had done...heard just kept on replaying in his mind, trying to be understood. The memories...seeing his friends still waiting for an answer, he ruffled his hair and said:

'I just, I saw some memories of Harry's and I- I keep trying to make sense out of them, trying to explain how it is possible a teenager could have-'

'Don't'

Sirius looked up to see James serious face, 'Don't tell us what you saw. If it had been anything else I would have asked you to spill, but this, these are Harry's memories…You should confront him. Preferable while he's chained and truth bound, only way he's going to give you straight answers.' Sirius grinned at the last comment.

'Speaking of which, if you want to catch Harry, why don't you go to the Quidditch pitch.' Remus suggested quietly, nodding towards the window, where a lone player, high in the sky was flying with the easy grace of someone who had been on brooms his whole life or was a Quidditch genius…or both.

'You sure you don't want to come?'

Sirius asked, strangely reluctant to face Harry alone. James gave a knowing smile,

'Nope matey, we'll be here, waiting for you and any tidbits which are not part of his memories.'

Sirius sighed again and walked out, trying to mentally prepare what he was going to say when he met him. Finally when he found himself at the Quiddith pitch, he decided to meet Harry in the air, and grabbed a broom. He rose slowly up, making sure Harry could see him. The latter had stopped as soon as he had seen him.

'Hey,' he greeted the blonde boy with a smile. Harry gave a hesitant smile back.

'I saw you from the dorm room, you're a great flyer.'

Harry seemed to answer without thinking, 'People tell me it's my father's genes.' His face immediately darkened, and Sirius asked himself what topic he could introduce that would not touch some kind of emotional land mine for Harry.

'What do you play as?' he asked desperately.

'Seeker, always seeker.'

'Right,' Sirius said triumphantly, taking out a feebly fluttering snitch from his pocket, grateful James had given him the last one he had nicked. 'Want to play? I may not be seeker, but I'm a darn good flyer.'

James- no Harry grinned with a smile full of easy confidence as he nodded. Sirius immediately threw the snitch in the air, allowing Harry a few seconds head start, which he didn't take while he raised a mocking eyebrow, then they both hurtled after it, squinting at the low light in the pitch. Sirius had barely time to count to ten before Harry stopped sharply, a gold snitch in his fist, saying:

'What did you say about being a good flyer Sirius?'

It was a whole new side to Harry, one he quite liked, a playfulness with no arrogance, a sense of mischievous teasing. He could not have known how much more it meant to Harry, to play with his godfather, both at the prime of their youth. They released the snitch six times, and Sirius only managed to catch it once, partly because of Harry's skills, partly because his mind was set on other subjects. Finally, Harry leveled off, the snitch once again in his hands and said:

'We should head back, we can hardly see the snitch anymore.'

But Sirius didn't answer and Harry looked around to see if he had gone down, but no, there he was, scrutinizing Harry,

'Sirius?'

'Why did you dye your hair?' Sirius immediately cursed himself to oblivion mentally. Blunt was never the right approach with Harry.

'What?' Harry asked, hoping he had misheard.

'I-' Sirius groaned, well now he was going to have to go through with it.

'You heard me. Why did you dye your hair?'

Harry's mouth had gone dry, 'How do you know I dyed my hair? I didn't- we should go back. They must be serving dinner soon.'

Quickly he angled the broom to the ground.

But Sirius was suddenly in front of him.' No-, no you're not getting out of this as easily as usual.'

'Sirius move over.' Harry said quietly.

'No.'

'Sirius, move over, or I swear I'll hex you.'

Looking at him, Sirius said more quietly: 'No I don't think you will, that is another thing I'm curious about, you could have hexed me, that day you confronted us after potions, easily, from what I've seen of you in action. But you didn't.'

Harry looked like a skittish animal, surrounded by hungry wolves the way he was acting. Sirius knew Harry would not answer anything, when he had, what Sirius considered a brilliant idea. Make Harry angry. Angry people make mistakes. So staring calculatingly into Harry's eyes, he said quietly:

'I know you dyed your hair because I saw the real color. Your hair is black. Jet black, a lot like James actually, I thought you were him.'

'What do you mean you thought I was him? How do you know?' Harry asked, dreading the answer.

'Dumbledore never told you we halped you wake up?' Sirius said, more of a statement than a question.

'Yes…he said you and James talked to me, an-'

'We got into your head.'

Harry nearly lost his grip on the broom. In a cold quiet voice, wind blowing around both of them, tens of meters from the ground he asked:

'You did what?'

'Well, I did, we had to drag you out of your own memories, James went first, but you kicked him out, then I tried, I met you, I mean another you inside, he said you wouldn't remember any of this, that I shouldn't talk to you about it but if it's the only way I can hear something real from you, I'll take the risk.'

'You messed with my head? You broke through any privacy I had the right to? I guess I was right to call you a Black.' Harry spit out, seething, then he took a deep breath, as if trying to calm himself, the darn closed look coming onto his face. Dodging around Sirius, he flew at breakneck speed to the ground, his young godfather hot in pursuit. Vaulting off his broom Harry tried to stride off. But Sirius flew in front of him before jumping off his broom with easy grace.

'No, you're not going to escape without giving me a straight answer.' Seeing Harry's carefully blank face, Sirius took hold of his shoulders shaking him. 'Say something!'

The contact seemed to break Harry's tight leash on his temper.

'What do you want me to say? That you had no right? That you put at stake much more than you could possibly have known? That you should have stayed out of my head?'

Sirius stared at the transformed Harry, an angry Harry, and he felt his own irritation mount.

'Well that was the only way to save you!'

'I would rather have stayed in coma then have someone looking inside my head.' Harry roared, and Sirius wondered if someone down at the castle had heard that.

Unfortunately, someone or more like some people had heard the commotion as four Slytherins came out of the shadows. Lucius was in front, and he was the one who addressed them:

'Well, well, two Gryffindors fighting, what a sight to see. Oh and the blood traitor to boot.'

Sirius snarled about to retort but Harry seemed to be faster as he whipped his wand out and said in a furious voice:

'Give me one reason not to blast you off right now Malfoy. I already felt like murdering someone before you came, and I owe you for a certain fall.'

'My, the cub has teeth.' A voice drawled and Harry narrowed his eyes at the person who came foward, a face he had only seen once, on a Quidditch photo.

'Regulus Arcturus Black.' He breathed, loud enough for his companions to hear him.

The dark haired boy stared at Harry. 'It seems you know my name, as it should be, but what is yours?'

But Harry was not even listening, his mind racing, trying to figure out the timeline here. Was Regulus already a death eater? Heck why was this world so complicated? Must be all the teenage hormones, he would so like to deal with the adult counterparts of all of these boys…Sirius' voice brought him back to the potentially dangerous situation:

'He might know yours, but I hardly see the point of him telling a bunch of snakes his. So why don't you all run along terrorize a first year, Harry and I have some unfinished business.'

'Don't tell me what to do Sirius.'

Regulus hissed, and Harry could sense the unspoken history between the two boys, as much as he wanted to let his temper on a rampage, he knew he couldn't do it here, so taking a role which Hermione would have been proud of, he said in a calm voice:

'Let's all settle down boys, Sirius, Regulus you can work out your trust issues another time, preferably when you're not surrounded by other people. Lucius, you can stop edging for that wand in your robes and let's all go back to the castle and leave this situation for another time, once you've all matured a few years.'

'Oh look Sirius, the cub is defending you. Hiding behind the skirts of your pathertic excuses for friends?'

Sirius took a step forward, but Harry raised a restraining hand and growled:

'Sirius, don't let him bait you, he's trying to make you start fighting first.'

Lucius continued maliciously, 'Oh look Regulus, a Gryffindor with half a brain. Well you should know Infinitus, that you are on the losing side. Hopefully, once you see how we kill mudbloods and blood traitors like Sirius here you might und-'

Lucius never saw it coming, the punch was so fast and strong he blacked out immediately, the three remaining Slytherins staring shocked at a fuming Harry, his wand raised:

'I told you I was in a bad mood.' He said harshly, when he saw the Slytherins all take out their wands he continued, 'Don't be fools. That is not how Slytherins operate. Take your _pathetic excuse for a friend_ and retreat, go hatch a devious plan, and get your revenge from me when you actually know you have the advantage. I don't know if I'll be able to stop myself from killing your miserable hides right now.' Then Harry groaned, as he saw arriving figures. 'Look, Gryffindor reinforcements, get out of here before I have to explain to Dumbledore why he is missing a couple of students.'

Finally noticing the remaining Marauders approaching quickly, the three students lifted the still woozy Lucius and silently eclipsed themselves, but not before Regulus gave a dark glance to Harry and said: 'We won't forget that Infinitus.'

Harry bowed his head to him mockingly, before watching them scurry off, not wanting to face the Marauders at a disadvantage. Once they had completely disappeared, he mentally moaned and turned to Sirius. A Sirius who was studying him silently, again.

'Now where were we?'

Sirius cleared his throat, and continued the conversation as if they had never been interrupted:

'Yes, I went inside your head, I saw some of your private memories, from what I can tell you went through some hard times, but there is no reason to be so damn secretive! I didn't even tell James about what I saw, and it's going to stay that way if I get answers.'

'Are you blackmailing me?' Harry asked astounded as James, Remus and Peter finally reached them.

'Sirius, Harry, are you guys alright? We saw the Slytherins…' James trailed off as he saw the Harry and Sirius staring at each other. Suddenly Sirius took as step forward, and looking straight at Harry, punched him. Again, Sirius saw with annoyance, the same shocked look as if he couldn't believe Sirius had actually hit him.

'Sirius?!' James shouted, as Harry looked back at Sirius, silent distress in his eyes, but his voice tried to hold anger as he said: 'What was that for?'

'For not answering any of my damn questions. I thought we were starting to be mates, yet we don't know anything about you! Why did you turn blonde? Who were the people fighting next to that archway? Why did a man with large knife cut you open? Why do you keep everything to yourself so much?'

'I can't,' Harry roared back. 'I can't say anything. Do you think it's easy for me to be here? To wake up every single day in that dorm room knowing that soon-' Harry stopped himself, then said in a lower voice, 'I thought we were making progress on the whole friendship thing too. But it seems I was wrong, friends would allow me my privacy, would allow me to talk about my past whenever I wished to. Friends don't do this, frie-' Harry's voice cracked as he stared at Sirius, yet not really Sirius-

'Then tell me this. Why do you look at me like that? Why did you just loose your temper at Lucius for insulting me, why can you not bloody hit me?' Sirius said loudly, both ignoring the three other Marauders.

'That- that's not true..I mean I don't like Malfoys as a principle..'

'Then hit me!' Sirius shouted, nearly desperately, not understanding why it was so important to him. He pushed Harry back, making the blonde boy stumble.

'Hit me!' he repeated, 'Just take a punch.' He saw Harry back away, almost nervously.

'Cut it out Sirius, I don't want to hex you.'

'Sirius, what's going on?' James asked

But Sirius ignored him as he concentrated on Harry, prowling closer.

'Come on Infinitus, what did I do? Scared of me? Or is it my family name that's blocking you from throwing the same punch you threw at Malfoy.'

'Sirius, don't.' Harry said warningly, still backing away. Sirius was frustrated. Asking Harry questions just invited ten million more. And he was sick of the mystery Infinitus presented. Feeling reckless he raised his hand to punch Harry a second time. He watched as Harry reacted automatically, ducking before charging him to the ground expertly, his wand at his throat before he seemed to realize what he had just done.

'You will not make me fight you Sirius.' Harry said in pained voice, a pained voice radiating with anger. He slowly got off him, and Sirius finally felt remoseful for pushing too hard.

Before Sirius could apologize however, Peter thought it would be a good time to pipe up:

'Harry, Sirius saved your life, you owe him yo-'

Harry couldn't resist lashing out:

'Shut up Peter, you I have no qualms in cursing, so don't get me started on what you owe me.'

With that Harry stormed off, leaving a scared Peter, an angry Sirius, a bewildered James and a thoughtful Remus.

* * *

So what do you think? Was Sirius too much of a jerk? Harry too much the suffer in silence guy? Was Harry's leaving too much like the time he stormed off with the whole godfather thing....Anyway tell me in the review you're about to write, btw, you can still give me suggestions about who should come from Harry's time, they're only appearing in like three chapters.

amaramichelle: Thanks for the double review again, just wanted to know how you think I could improve the Lily-touching-the-necklace scene...

meNyou.2: You and planeteer-rach shouldn't worry too much about how they would come to the past and fit with the story line, I'm already working on a believable story!

Ima: I don't think its a question of how thick they are. I mean, imagine someone comes into your life that looks alot like you, minus the hair, would your first thought be: OMG, that's is my son/daughter from the future!'? lol


	10. Chapter 10: They're Coming!

Sorry for the long wait, as a result you have an extra long chapter, actually its pretty short because I'm posting it in two parts, overall its a good fifteen pages. I might post the second part tommorrow though because I want to edit it a bit more, its...unpolished.

Anyway, as usual I applaud my generous reviewers who have managed to make me post this tonight:

**Missha- MM -, WeatherWatch, amaramichelle, turtleduck89, story2tell, meNyou.2, itachisgurl93, Josefin Tonks, pearlmon18, lily+james3, planeteer-rach, Spyridon, xandromedax, Pepper-glass, bananacupcakes, lillyflower08, Dinatry**

Please ignore the spelling/ grammar mistakes as usual...

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* * *

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**Chapter 10: They're Coming!**

'Sirius, I swear, if you continue making that face I will hex you.' James warned his friend as they stood in line, waiting for Professor McGonagall to check their Hogsmeade pass.

'Wha-at? I'm not making a face.'

'Just apologize to him,'

Remus said dryly, as he nodded towards the blonde haired boy who was listening to the chatter of an animated red haired girl a few people ahead. James smiled slightly as he saw Lily acting like an excited little girl. Remus looked at him frowning, and catching his gaze James asked:

'What?'

'Well, not to light a spark, but Lily is going out to Hogsmeade with a boy other than yourself, I remember how the last one ended and I don't-'

'It's not a date.' James said confidently.

'Right.'

Sirius said sarcastically, glad they were changing the topic. The truth was, he couldn't stop replaying the way he had acted to Harry, the things he had said, punching him, and every time he felt a wave of guilt as well as a sever urge to beat himself down, preferably with a large stick. The worst was; the whole thing had given nothing except a Harry who avoided them worse than the plague. He had learnt nothing about him except that he had an adverse reaction to violence and Peter. Every time they had a run in Harry just intoxicated him with more mysteries.

'You're making the face again.' Remus whispered. James looked at his friend worriedly, unsure of what to do, when a stern voice got their attention.

'Mr. Infinitus, I'm afraid you do need the Hogsmeade pass to go to Hogsmeade.'

'But I didn't get a bloody form Professor. I'm sure if you talk to Professor Dumbledore he'll ex-'

'I'm sorry. But the Headmaster is at the Hog's Head if he hasn't left it already, and it is my duty to assure the safety of all the students-'

'Right, okay, I got it.' Harry cut her, sighing. He grasped Lily's hand and pulled her backwards as the next pair of students presented their form.

Curious, the Marauders approached quietly in time to hear Harry whisper:

'-I promise I'll meet you there, I just need to finish a little errand first.'

'But Harry how will you-'

'Trust me Lily, there's more than one way into Hogsmeade.' He grinned and set off back to the castle.

The Marauders looked at each other, then James shrugged heading towards Lily. Sirius was about to follow him when Remus placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.

'You have James cloak?'

Sirius nodded warily, Remus had the look in his eyes, last he had it they had ended up lost in the forbidden forest.

'I think we should follow Harry, whatever it is, I think it'll help us understand him better.'

'I don't know Moony, I kind of messed it up really well the other day.'

'Sirius, come on, call it a Moony instinct. Besides I doubt you want to be there when Lily blows up at James.'

With a quick look at the already flustered red head, Sirius ran after his friend, knowing James would not notice their disappearance for a while. Harry had disappeared a while ago but with Remus' heightened sense of smell and hearing he was able to trail him, staying out of sight. The boy seemed to be sure about where he was going. The two friends watched in growing amazement as Harry ran to the third floor corridor and tapped the one eyed witch muttering Dissendium.

_How could Harry have known? How would Harry know any of Hogwarts secrets?_ Sirius thought furiously as they waited a few minutes before setting out after him, through the secret passageway they had been the only ones to know about. Or at least they had thought so; Harry had been too sure, too confident for him to have just stumbled onto it. Another mystery to add to the mystery boy Sirius thought sarcastically as they jogged through the secret passageway. They had not used this passage for some time now, and Sirius had forgotten how long winded it was. Finally, they reached the steps that that took them into the Honeydukes cellar. But by the time they had sneaked out of the candy store Harry was nowhere to be seen.

'Where is he?' Sirius hissed as he looked wildly around the crowded street.

'I don't know, can't sense him here, too many people.' Grunted Remus.

'Hang on, over there!' Sirius said excitedly, catching a flash of the tell tale light blonde hair, 'He's heading towards the Hog's Head!'

'Of course! Dumbledore's there. I was right Padfoot, this will definitely be interesting.'

Remus and Sirius hurried towards the inn, but just before Harry could enter the Headmaster himself came out. The two nearly ran into each other and the two boys deemed it more prudent to stop, a few metres away, within hearing distance. They hadn't forgotten how Dumbledore had caught them at the infirmary.

'Harry! What are you doing here?' The headmaster asked mildly.

'Professor Dumbledore, I've just had to sneak into Hogsmeade, apparently Professor McGonagall didn't see my parents consent from.' He replied bitterly.

'Aah yes, I will have a word with Minerva. But I highly doubt that is why you ambushed me outside the Hog's Head.'

'You were gone. When I woke up you were already gone.' Harry said, not sure why it angered him so much.

'I am sorry, but-'

'Though that's not why I'm here Professor.' Harry said sharply.

The Headmaster looked at him patiently as Harry took a quick glance around to check there was no one near. Then he hissed:

'You let Sirius into my head!'

'I had no idea if it would work, you were in critical condition-'

'You Dumbledore of all people should understand how dangerous that was, how much could have been destroyed!'

'You wouldn't let me in. You wouldn't even let James for that matter. I actually found that rather interesting. Sirius not James.'

'Stop prying Dumbledore, you know I can't say anything. I am thankful Sirius did not understand whatever it is he saw, it would make things…complicated.' Harry then added: 'I assume the fact you have been avoiding me is because you have not found anything about the spell.'

'You are wrong my boy, that is not it, I was merely going to talk to you in a more secure environment, come, the three Broomsticks should be packed, less chance of being overheard, I assume you know the place.' Harry gave a bittersweet smile, 'Yes, I knew the place well, but won't it seem weird for me to have a coffee with the Headmaster.'

'Not if I am merely enquiring how the new student is doing. How are you doing by the by?' Dumbledore asked as they walked towards the Three Broomsticks, oblivious to Sirius and Remus still following.

'I-It's hard.' Harry said quietly, wondering how much of an understatement it could become.

'You know you don't have to do it Harry.' Dumbledore said, his face showing concern. 'You're still a child, no matter what you've accomplished until now, I could put Aurors on-'

'Professor, we've already discussed it, it's the safest way to have me doing exactly what I'm doing-' Harry shut up as they entered the Three Broomsticks and got lost in the huge amount of chatter and noise. They silently took a table at the far end, next to a particularly boisterous group of Hufflepuffs. Sirius and Remus had much more difficulty moving through the tables. But they were both entranced by the conversation, all thoughts of ethics out of their head as they strove to reach the table and hear the next words.

'-just seeing them every day. Trying to pretend I'm Harry Infinitus…' The boy trailed off as the old man looked at him worriedly.

'Harry-'

'Don't worry Professor; I will do my job, just indulging in a bit of self pity.'

'That is not my concern, you do your job, I'm worried about y-'

'Not well enough it seems, Lily was injured.' Harry said harshly.

'You cannot protect everyone all the time from everything.'

'No that's what you will do.' Harry replied with a sad smile.

'We were that close, huh?' Dumbledore said musingly, at the familiarity Harry was treating him with. His eyes burned with curiosity as he studied the older than his years teenager.

'So what did you find out?' Harry asked, not comfortable with the glint in his mentor's eyes.

Dumbledore seemed to snap back into focus as he said: 'Right, Deathero Infinitus. Grindelwald only researched it after he got the death stick. I assume you know everything about the wand. Apparently it's a curse so powerful you can only perform it correctly if you have deep experience with dark magic or if you have the elder wand.'

'Or both.' Harry interrupted dryly.

'Yes, I imagine he would qualify as both, so I assume I am dead if he got the wand.'

'Professor please.'

'Yes so, the spell is so dark because it curses you with the worst fate imaginable.'

'I thought that was the Dementor's kiss according to you.'

'Really, I said that? Well, a person kissed by a Dementor at least have an end to their suffering. Death comes to them whether in a day or years, they are still freed from the emptiness. But Deathero Infinitus, it banished the person to nothing, limbo if you will. You cannot die; you stay there for eternity, unheard, a prisoner in every sense.'

'So why hasn't he used this spell before, shouldn't it be classed as an Unforgivable?'

'Well, you get to the crucial point of the matter; the thing is, this spell takes both the victim and the caster of the spell. It is a double edged sword.'

Harry whistled, he could only take this lightly or he would crumble under the strain of the fate he had escaped.

'He must have really hated my guts to do that to us.'

'It is not a matter of hate Harry. This curse has been forgotten by dark magic because dark wizards have a very strong instinct of self preservation. He must have lost all hope of beating you if he cast this on both of you.'

Harry's eyes narrowed as he remembered a detail, 'But I don't understand. How did it work? I was the Master of the Elder wand, he was merely holding it!'

'Mmm, well I can only assume, but you must have fuelled the power for the spell, if the wand came to you as soon as he uttered the curse.'

Harry gave his trademark bitter bark of laughter as he said: 'So he was right, I doomed us, I was the one who sent myself to hell.'

'We can only conjecture Harry, from the little I know you both ventured into realms of magic unknown.' Harry gave a small smile, 'You know you told me the same thing when…'Harry trailed off as a new thought came to him, 'Hang on, this is all very well, but it doesn't explain why I'm here instead of being stuck in limbo with my arch enemy.'

'Ah, well that is the crux of the matter Harry. From Grindelwald's research there is no escape. It is like the Avada Kedavra curse-'

'Trust me, escaping the Avada Kedavra has been done before from where I come from, so there must be a way. I mean, I cannot stay here forever; it would cause everything to change. And I don't even want to think about what they're thinking back home. I hate causing the people I care about more grief than I've already caused them.'

Dumbledore placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, 'I cannot imagine how painful this is for you, but know that you are not alone.'

'I know.' Harry replied looking into his blue eyes deeply.

'Harry!' a voice called over, and Sirius cursed silently as he saw James waving over, a smile spread over his face, which fell a bit as he saw Professor Dumbledore.

'Oh, Professor, I didn't see you, you need Harry?'

'No Mr. Potter I am quite done,' he made to go up but Harry's hand retained his arm as he said quickly and quietly: 'You still haven't told me the solution.'

'I'm afraid there is no solution where I looked, I am going to try visiting my old friend Flamel,'

Harry closed his eyes as he tried to get rid of the feeling of hope that had come crashing down. He watched as the Headmaster nodded his head, before dispparating in front of them.

'Harry!'

Harry snapped back in focus to James snapping his fingers in front of his face. A disgruntled Lily immediately said:

'Potter stop that right now! Harry you ok?'

Harry smiled warmly at the pair they made, as James replied:

'See Lily-flower, I told you we'd find him. Nice job by the way, how did you sneak past McGonagall?'

'Professor McGonagall.' Lily said reprovingly.

Harry was saved from answering as Sirius and Remus came into his vision. He could have sworn the two boys had not been in the room before. James seemed to have the same thoughts as he asked:

'Where the hell have you two been?'

'Well Prongsie, when you see Lily, you lose track of everyone around you so don't blame us.'

Before James could angrily retort, Harry interfered, trying to ignore Sirius' gaze:

'Are you guys going to sit down then, I doubt even the glare Lily is giving you will make you leave.'

'Right you are Harry,' James said with a wicked smile as he pushed Lily into a chair and grabbed the one next to her.

'What happened to Petti- Peter?' Harry asked

'Oh, he's been lovesick, ever since you gave that cryptic comment.' Sirius answered airily.

'What cryptic comment?' Lily asked.

'Actually he's come down with a virus in the hospital wing.' Remus said quietly.

Knowing the direction this was heading Harry quickly said: 'So who's ordering?'

Hearing Harry's troubled voice Lily sighed, she was starting to see through Harry's facial expressions, and it only confused her even more.

'I'll go' she said, standing up. James immediately stood up, 'I'll help you, right so Padfoot, Moony, I know what to order, what about you Harry?'

Harry looked arrested for a second before replying, 'whatever you are taking.'

Shrugging James moved off, leaving Remus, Harry and Sirius alone on the table in silence.

Finally Sirius broke the silence, 'Listen, Harry, what I…I did the other day, I',-'

'Don't.' the command stopped him in the middle of his awkward apology and Sirius looked up into Haryr's eyes, bewildered.

'What? I was just-'

'Don't apologize to me. Not you. I mean, it was my fault.'

'You didn't punch me.'

'No but I felt like punching myself too. As you must have noticed already, I have difficulties talking about my past. I- I went through some messed up stuff, and this place, these people remind me of it a lot.'

'I'm sorry.' Sirius finally said quickly.

Harry looked at him with emotions so deep they were unfathomable. 'I told you not to apologize. I am the one at fault, you sacr- I mean, I never thanked you, for what you did, but I am, thankful I mean.'

'You're welcome I guess,' Sirius said disconcerted at how the conversation had turned, 'And Harry, I really did try not to look, at the memories-'

'It's over Sirius, let's forget it.' Harry said, but Sirius knew the matter wasn't, not with all the frightening information he and Remus had just received. He hadn't even had time to really digest it and was hoping Remus made more out of it than he was currently doing.

'Here you are boys.' James said as he pushed three drinks towards them. 'Harry, I just got you a Butterbeer, they make them really good here.'

'I know.' Seeing James frowning, he added hastily, 'It looks good.'

'So Harry did you actually plan all this?' Lily asked suspiciously.

'Plan what? Oh you mean the Marauders crashing into our…excursion? Nope. Can't put Marauders in a plan, they'll immediately do everything in their power to mess it up.' He said winking at James.

'Excursion, right.' Sirius scoffed.

'I know it might be an impossible concept for you to understand Sirius but Harry and I are just friends, this is not a date.' Lily said acidly.

Sirius raised an eyebrow towards Harry, and Harry said lazily: 'She's telling the truth, she rejected me in favour of James.'

'Harry!' Lily said outraged.

'Nice one Infinitus,' Sirius grinned, turning to a very red Lily, 'So you're finally admitting you like Prongsie here.'

'Boys, why do you all have to be so insufferable.'

'You wouldn't like me any other way,'

James gave his trademark grin, and Remus frowned in contemplation as he saw the exact same grin on Harry's face. The parts of the puzzles were all jumbled, and he could only trail his hands in them, wondering if he would ever solve the mystery the boy had become.

'Remus?' Harry said uncertainly,

'What?' He asked puzzled.

'Nothing, you've just been staring me like I was a bug to dissect for five minutes.'

'Oh, sorry, the James-Harry resemblance startled me.'

Harry frowned at that, especially as since Remus had opened the topic, Lily jumped in, saying thoughtfully: 'you know, I was wondering the same thing, you sure you two are not related?'

Seeing Harry's face, she added: 'I know you say you aren't, but honestly, the things you both do sometimes, the face, the expressions, it's just…mind boggling.'

'Hmm, well, my parents were always faithful to each other, and since I look like my father a lot I doubt I was secretly adopted. 'James said, scratching his nose absently.

'I was an only child, they're both dead, so no, I doubt James is my separated from birth twin,' Harry said shortly.

'I'm sorry mate, we won't pry I promise.'

'It's not that, I was one, I don't really remember them, but-'

At that moment, without warning, a wave of pain unleashed on Harry, more than he had ever felt in his visions with Voldemort before. His vision blurred as he was suddenly Voldemort, in a dark room, a Death Eater in front of him, Harry could not tell who it was, he had his mask on. He had been wrong, he thought panicked, Voldemort was not alone.

_At that moment he, no Voldemort spoke in his cold high voice: _

'_Where are the rest?'_

'_I'm not sure my Lord,' the man quailed visibly._

'_You lie! Crucio!' The man was pushed to his knees by the pain he felt as Harry tried to distance himself from the man he was._

'_Now will you tell me, my patience is wearing thin.' Harry felt Voldemort was slightly irritated but boredom being the chief emotion._

'_My lord, I swear I do not know, Crabbe, Crabbe mentioned Hogsmeade, they might have gone spread a little fear in your name…I do not know._

'_Very well. Get out of my sight Goyle, tell Bellatrix to go fetch them once they've had their fun.'_

Harry finally managed to get out his head, and slowly, he was back in the Three Broomsticks, on the floor, still clutching his scar, faces all around him.

'Harry?'

'Harry…'

'Give him space people, come on, Harry get up, fresh air.'

'Maybe we should take him back to the castle, he doesn't look so well.'

Harry suddenly found himself in the cold brisk air as he tried to get his bearings back, the world still shaky around him. Sluggishly he recognized James was the one supporting his body right now wjile Lily hovered anxiously in front of him

Abruptly, he remembered exactly what was happening.

'Get out…' he said weakly,

'What?' Lily said, her identical green eyes staring into his, 'Harry you need to be brought to the hospital wing, you had some kind of fit!'

'No! Lily, Sirius, we need out of here, now!'

'What? Harry you're not making sense, don't worry, we'll find-'

'James, no, you don't understand, they're coming, I need you out of here, I don't know when they'll be here, and I don't know how many they'll be.' He looked at the four blank faces around him as he got his wand out.

'Trust me! I need you to be safe; and we have to start evacuating.'

'Harry, you're not making any sense, one minute you're in some kind of fit and then suddenly you grow paranoid.'

'Maybe you should take some time and relax.'

Harry rounded on Remus, 'There is no time! They're coming!'

'Who's coming?' Sirius asked patiently.

'Harry you need to calm down, we're not under any kind of danger, it's Hogsmeade.' James said in his reasonable voice.

At that precise moment there was a large crash above them as the Three Broomsticks entrance sign was blown to smithereens by a curse.

* * *

I swear I didn't want to make it a cliffhanger, to prove it I'll tell you next chapter is the cliched Death-Eater/Harry confrontation in Hogsmeade. Please Review people, tell me if you have any ideas about next chapter that I could add to the next chapter before posting it up. Oh and tell me if I made some kind of reference mistake in the Dumbledore/Harry conversation. Until tommorrow then!


	11. Chapter 11: Ssstop!

Okay, here as promised is the second part of the chapter the next day. Consider it a bonus to my wonderful reviewers, with Josefin Tonks, I have reached the 100 mark which is a great achievement for me although I am aiming for a thousand ;).

My thanks to: Dinatry, Little Writter, meNyou.2, kokylinda, Lovealwayshopes, planeteer-rach, Missha- MM -, pinkyroo, jaredkolhoff, Spyridon, itachisgurl93, Josefin Tonks.

Oh and I kind've noticed its always the same people reviewing, I mean come on the rest of you, a 30 seconds review is a small return for something that takes me at least two hours to write and correct. Have a bit of heart :)

Now remember this is the first time I really write a fight scene so I have no idea how convincing it is, so read and review...

* * *

**Chapter 11: Ssstop!**

'_Harry you need to calm down, we're not under any kind of danger, it's Hogsmeade.' James said in his reasonable voice._

_At that precise moment there was a large crash above them as the Three Broomsticks entrance sign was blown to smithereens by a curse._

'What the-' Sirius cursed as he looked around wildly to see where it had come from. He only had time to glimpse a group of dark cloaks that had just apparated before Harry started dragging them off.

'Sirius! 'The boy hissed as Sirius made to stand up, Harry dragged them to a niche between two shops, hidden from view.

'What's going on?' Lily asked bewildered.

'Death-Eaters.' Harry said briefly, his hand on his forehead trying to control the twinges he could feel form his scar.

'What? But why would they come here-'

'Lily this is neither the place nor the time. You, all of you, need to get back to Hogwarts now! With Dumbledore gone it's the only safe place!'

'What? No!' James protested loudly, 'We can fight; help the rest of the students get out safely!'

'Yeah, we can't run away now!' Sirius backed James up.

'What about you?' Remus asked concerned.

And they all looked at Harry in protest.

'No you can't, you're too important, I mean- just- get back to the castle.' Harry said over the noise.

It had taken a few seconds for the people in in Hogsmeade to realize they were under attack, but once they did, pandemonium erupted. People running everywhere, screams, shouts, rubble falling as the Death Eaters blew up walls. Harry looked around, frustration welling up. People were falling everywhere, no one fighting back, and he needed to help. He was the bloody wizarding world's savior. At that point he saw three foolish third years coming out of the barricaded Three Broomsticks, wands out, obviously wanting to duel. Sparing a look at his four companions he ordered tersely:

'Lily, as soon as I've got them distracted, get to Honeydukes, there's a passageway in the cellar, leads straight to Hogwarts, get as many people as you can back to the castle. James, Sirius, Remus go with Lily, help her evacuate everyone.'

With that he ran out of his hiding place, just in time to push the third years out of the way as a hex came flying at them. He quickly analyzed the situation as he sent a parrying curse. There were six, no seven Death Eaters, he didn't know how Voldemort had recruited so quickly but he didn't have time to wonder about it. They had not thrown the dark mark in the sky so the professors at Hogwarts would be oblivious to the chaos here, unless some of them had come down to Hogsmeade. He swerved, barely escaping a killing curse. Rolling to the side, before the death eater could send something else his way he aimed a non-verbal Petrificus Totalus, which the Death Eater missed, incapacitating him. Getting up quickly he looked at the three wide eyed students.

'Get out of here, now!'

He managed to shout at them before another Death Eater noticed there was someone who wasn't running away, screaming in fright. All Harry's senses were alight as he dodged curses; he nearly felt elated at being in a situation he actually recognized: death at any wrong movement. The Death eaters of this time could not be underestimated but they were not as skilled as their older versions in the future, and Harry managed to stay fighting despite the fact that he was outnumbered and he did not have Hermione and Ron watching his back. At that moment a curse flew next to him, and hit the Death Eater who had been completely engrossed in fighting Harry straight in the chest. Harry whirled around to see a smirking Sirius.

'What are you doing here?' Harry yelled, anger coursing through his veins at the risk his young godfather was taking. He had not even considered the possibility that he would be disobeyed when he had ordered them to safety.

'Saving your life Harry.' James said appearing on his other side.

'I told them to listen to you.' Remus' prim voice came from behind.

Harry rounded on him, 'Yes that's exactly why you're getting out of here, now! You don't have the experience-'

'And you do Harry?' Lily's determined voice came to him, also from behind, 'You know we were the top four students in DADA last year.'

'Lily!? Oh god no,' Harry moaned, but he didn't have time to say anything else, as the five remaining Death Eaters realized two of their comrades had fallen.

'Goyle's down.' One snarled, turning to the five teenagers, 'It seems Hogwarts teaching standards are not as low as they are rumored to be.'

Harry couldn't recognize the voice so he assumed the Death Eater had died before his time, which made him feel slightly better as he gave a reckless grin. He had learnt Death Eaters were easily riled, and it always worked to his advantage.

'I had heard Death Eaters were more than a bunch of sniveling losers hungry for power they will never attain.' He said in a cold voice, his wand out, wind twirling the ends of his robes as he tried to stand in front of all four students at his sides.

'What? You have a death wish boy?' The Death Eater gaped, not believing someone would actually dare stand up to them.

'Sectumsempra!'

Harry replied verbally, aiming at the Death Eater behind the talkative one, who had been about to curse them. There was no more time for conversation as Harry moved between the flying curses, trying to send back as many hexes back as he could, all the time aware of the more hesitating fighters behind him. There were only three Death Eaters fighting them Harry realized, nearly too late as he saw one practically finished with breaching the hasty physical and magical defenses in front of the Three Broomsticks. Ducking under an Imperius curse he pointed his wand at the Three Broomsticks and a flaming line of fire appeared in front of it, the same Dumbledore had used in the cave against the Inferi. The fire burned the Death Eater who started howling as he tried to put out of the flames. Unfortunately Harry had missed the last Death Eater who had sneaked behind all of them while they had been occupied fighting.

'Imperio!' The curse hit Harry straight in the back, and Harry's various cuts and bruises held no pain as the Death Eater ordered over the noise: 'Attack your friends.'

Harry raised his wand, his eyes unfocused, distantly taking in the fearful faces looking at him. But the voice of reason in the back of his head was as strong as ever and it squashed the feeling of peace in seconds; looking straight at the caster Harry uttered a curse.

'Not everyone can be turned into a stinking traitor!' He shouted at the huge Death Eater who had just evaded his curse and his bewildered cronies.

'Well, at least you know how to play boy, think you're ready for the real world yet?' The death eater growled, ripping his mask off.

'Greyback!' Harry growled, recognizing the werewolf. Next to him, he noticed Remus pale abruptly.

Greyback, took a step back, then smirked, 'You seem to know something about us, planning to join soon?'

Harry snarled back, but before he could answer the three Death Eaters who he had turned away resumed hexing and he swore as he realized they had been surrounded. It was impossible to protect the Marauders and Lily from everything and seconds later, Harry's heart nearly stopped as Remus was hit by a curse, crumbling down.

'Remus!' he shouted, but he could not move as he tried to stop the furious onslaught from both sides. Behind him, Sirius and James were dragging Remus to the side, behind the half broken down wall of a shop.

'Lily get back!' He shouted as he decided to blast the road in front of him with a borderline dark curse. For once Lily listened but before he could get the words out, a leaping form burst through the still raging fire in front of the Three Broomsticks. Everyone paused for as the form stood upright in a fluid movement to reveal Rayger, the DADA teacher.

'Darn kids, you can't get past them.' He grumbled before he realized exactly who was in front of him.

'You!' It seemed the Death Eaters had a serious piece of history with him too as they all shot curses straight at him.

Harry stepped in front of his Professor blocking the spells from the front as his professor took care of the ones sent by Fenrir Greyback and the Death Eater who had finally managed to extinguish the fire on his robes.

As they both ducked at the next curses, Rayger sent a glance at Harry, who nodded, then, rolling back up, they positioned themselves back to back, Harry facing the two Death Eaters, Rayger the three.

'You sure you can take them Professor?' Harry mocked his teacher gently, danger driving adrenaline through all his limbs.

Rayger scoffed, 'Nice try kid, I still want an explanation of what exactly I managed to see behind the glass before I could come join you, and hell, stop calling me Professor. You could probably become the DADA teacher with what you did.' They both grinned but immediately gave their full attention to the Death Eaters in front of them.

* * *

Sirius looked worriedly at Remus as slowly opened his eyes.

'Wha-at…What's happening?' He moaned, blinking, then suddenly sat straight up. 'Sirius, James, the Death Eaters-'

'Woah, calm down, everyone's fine, at least for the moment, Lily and James are right here, James come reassure Moony a second…James?'

But James was not listening as he stared opened mouth at the battle happening in front of his eyes, between the five, no four now, Death Eaters, Harry and Rayger.

There was nothing left of the shy, reclusive blonde haired boy. Instead a bold skilled and dangerous wizard fought in front of them. He seemed to have eyes at the back of his head, moving to escape spells which were thrown at impossible speed. James could tell the spells thrown at Harry were aimed to kill, he could feel their heat from here, while Harry riposted with curses ranging from Expelliarmus to what sounded like dark ones. Rayger on the other side was flinging what James could recognize as well known banned curses and even an Unforgivable.

Sirius whistled quietly,'Where did Harry-'

'We need to go help him, however good he might be it's still four to two.' James interrupted him, about to head out back into the half destroyed road. But Lily pulled him back,

'Harry told us to stay out of it.'

'And you're going to listen to him?'

'He was right the first time, besides we'll only get in the way.' Lily hissed.

'Lily, this is not class, and I'm not waiting for Harry to die before doing the right thing.' Sirius said, getting up from his crouch and setting out just as Harry's Sectumsempra hit Fenrir. The werewolf howled in pain, before falling down, his blood crimson in the white snow. Harry then turned to Rayger's opponents.

But before Sirius could do anything a large crack resounded and two more figures appeared at the centre of the road.

Before ascertaining who it was Rayger shouted: 'Crucio'.

Sirius watched in slow motion as the figure moved gracefully to the side, then a flash of wand, a burst of green light, and Rayger crumbled next to Harry. Dead.

'Foolish.' Drawled the female voice as she stepped forward, shaking of her hood to examine her kill. The removed hood exposed a young woman, with long dark locks and snow white skin.

Sirius did not have time to react to the death that had just occurred as he recognized the handsome face of his cousin. 'Bellatrix,' he said with disgust. He was not the only one who seemed to recognize her. He heard Harry give a hiss of recognition. Meanwhile Lily had just comprehended her DADA professor was dead as she gave a cry and rushed forward kneeling in front of the dead body trying to find a sign of life, forgetting all danger, James and Lupin running after her.

'My, my, what a gathering,' Bellatrix said, 'Sirius, how are you enjoying your Hogsmeade trip? Won't you introduce your friends to us.'

Sirius was about to retort, but Harry's clenched voice spoke first:

'Don't bother, you won't be alive long enough to remember it.' Even Lily looked up to Harry when they heard the dark tones in with which he spoke his words with. What was the history between them, Sirius wondered, as he saw the hate filled green eyes.

'Harry…' he whispered, he might hate his cousins guts but she was a darn good fighter.

'Ha! You amuse me! I think I'll kill you myself.' Bellatrix replied to Harry's dark tones. With a flick of her wand she raised a visible yet nearly transparent magical barrier around herself and Harry.

Bellatrix opened her mouth to utter her curse and Harry was ready as he let his curse fly. No one moved as they started combating. Even the Death Eaters stood arrested at the superior fighting they were witnessing. Harry had been holding himself back while fighting the Death Eaters before, Sirius realized, probably busy trying to protect them. But he seemed to have forgotten about them, absorbed in the duel. The arrogant expression on Bellatrix's face was soon replaced by concentration as she repelled another dark curse. Both young fighters were duelling to kill, both moving with the grace of dancers, skipping and ducking, rolling sideways. Finally, as if from an invisible signal they both stopped cursing.

'You have power boy. You could have a great future with us.' Bellatrix said her voice smooth in the softly falling snow.

'Over my dead body' Harry snarled back, his eyes shining with hate.

'Mmm, well perhaps, it is a pity, I can smell you are of noble blood, otherwise, Nagini here would have already bit you.'

Harry stepped backwards in shock, as did Sirius, as too late they noticed Lord Voldemort's reptile slithering next to Rayger's body.

'Lily, get back now,' Harry said quietly, unable to fight the snake in the barrier he was placed in, as the Death Eaters waited with baited breath. Nagini had first been interested in smell of the dead body, but now she was rearing in front of Lily, hypnotically staring at the frozen green eyed witch.

Sirius slowly tried to raise his wand, as did James and Remus, but they were standing right behind Lily, there was no way they could move without alerting the snake into striking.

'Stop!'

Sirius heard Harry desperately, stupidly too as Bellatrix laughed at his words, 'She only obeys the Dark Lord you fool.'

No one moved and they watched in slow motion as the snake reared its head backwards, about to strike, James running to push Lily out of the way, when a strange hissing sound was heard, not from the snake.

* * *

Harry remembered the signs, he could remember Snape's lifeless on the floor, blood still flowing, and he damned if he allowed it to happen to Lily.

'Stop' he shouted instinctively, unfortunately in English. But Harry was not listening as he stared at the snake, imagining himself a reptile and slowly it came to him,

'Sssstop.' he whispered.

The snake had already reared back, about to strike, but the whispered words stopped it still as it turned its eyes to Harry, as did everyone else's.

'Get away from the girl.' Harry hissed, entranced in his task.

'You are not my masssster human.'

'Yesss, but I am can sssspeak to you, I am an important human. Your massster will not be pleased if you harm my sssservants.'

The snake seemed to consider that and then slowly slithered back a bit. Harry breathed in relief, before realizing he had just made the situation ten times worse.

For once Bellatrix was speechless as she regarded the boy, not much younger than herself. She had first been surprised at his bravado, then astonished at his skills, and now as he slowly looked into her eyes, she could see the promise of death in his eyes. He raised his wand, about to continue the duel, the duel she was no longer sure she would win. Making a decision she nodded imperceptibly to the Death Eaters at her sides as she raised her wand to parry the unforgivable Harry had just send her.

'No longer such a good boy huh?' She cackled as she sent back her own curse, more as a distraction.

'You have no idea,' Harry growled as he shouted:

'Crucio!'

Bellatrix felt the curse rustle her locks and she laughed again, 'you cannot fight us boy, I am sure my lord will find interest in a fellow Parceltongue, his tutelage would surpass the old fools misguided notions here.'

'Have you not understood yet? You will need to drag my dead body before I come willingly.' He bit back furiously.

'Or theirs?' Bellatrix said triumphantly and the blonde boy froze, then turned back to see the three Marauders wandless, Lily still engrossed with Rayger's dead body, a silent tear on her cheek and surrounded by the other five Death Eaters.

Harry tried to think of a way to extricate them from the danger but nothing came to mind, the road was silent, there was no help coming.

'Give me you wand.' Bellatrix hissed in satisfaction.

Slowly, looking into Sirius' eyes in hopelessness, Harry loosed his finger, his wand falling gently into the snow by his feet.

'Take me to your Lord, but leave them out of this, they are but students.' Harry said quietly, hating to beg to her. She might not have committed the crimes Harry would hate her for. She might not be mad yet. She might be much more beautiful and young then she had been in his time. But she was still Bellatrix- Sirius' murderer.

'And you are not?' Bellatrix asked curious as she waved her wand, making Harry's wand fly to her. She moved closer to him, sensing Harry would not lay a finger on her when his friends were in danger.

'Not where you are concerned.' He replied implacably.

'Hmmm, but you are a student at Hogwarts, you robes attest to such. You should feel honored, we have never taken prisoners before.' She raised the tip of her wand, caressing his crisped jaw before holding it beneath his chin.

'Yes, they will serve to keep you in check, who knows, they might not suffer much before they die. Lord Voldemort might not even kill my blood traitor cousin.' With that she nodded at the other Death Eaters again, grasping his hand.

A second later the ravaged street was empty, the snow gently covering the corpse that had been left there.

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Okay, I am expecting lot's and lot's of reviews for this chapter, not just new favorites and story alerts. Come on people, I know you can help make this fanfic amazing. What do you think of me offing the DADA teacher? Was it too unemotional? Did I make a mistake in putting Bellatrix in now, is she still supposed to be at school? What do you think should happen next? How should I improve the fanfic?

Oh, for the characters coming form the future, I've nearly finalized on having one adult, maybe they could take the DADA position now open, and one or two teenagers. But I've only decided on one of the teenagers *secret*, the other one is still open for suggestion. I've been getting a lot of Ginny's in the reviews but I'm hesitating to put her because Harry will grow away from the Marauders if she comes, he's going to relieve all his stress in her and confide in her and there'll be no Angst left, lol. Btw does anyone know how to add a fanfic to a community? Forgive my stupidness :P

Lina03: Don't worry Snape will make an appearance after a few chapters, he's not forgotten!

planeteer-rach: I competely agree with you, long live cliched Hogsmeade!

Laurenmk18: Well as you can see from here, Rayger wasn't a Death Eater! I'm basing the fact that he knew the spell from on a comment old Remus Lupin made to Harry in the Half-Blood Prince saying hexes grew in and out of fashion. From what I had understood, Snape didn't invent the Sectumsempra. But if i'm wrong tell me and I'll switch to something else, I have a horrible memory and Sectumsempra was the only curse I could think of. Come to think of it, I havn't really been imaginitive in this chapter either, *sigh*. And whoa calm down, I havn't issued a death warrant for Harry yet, but thanks for the Teddy suggestion, although he still might be too young. Btw thanx for the double review.

jaredkolhoff: Hmmm, I'm still thinking about if they find out the truth, and when, but killing Peter would affect the whole timeline, will give it some thought though!

Oh and just as a warning, the next chapter might take some time coming out cause I have no clue what's going to happen. Of course reviews always speeds up my brain processing power. *Hint Hint*


	12. Chapter 12 Lord Voldemort Jr

Okay, so here's the next chapter! I know I took twice the amount of time writing this chapter(separated into two parts) as more than one reviewer commented on the short length of my chapters. So to demonstrate in scientific terms; if you want double the length for a chapter (and this is a whopping 17 pages) you guys have to prepared to wait twice the amount of time. To be frank I rather like posting in short bursts...anyway, thanks goes to my amazing reviewers:

lillyflower08, Lovealwayshopes, Dinatry, imaginedreamer, itachisgurl93, Josefin Tonks, danielrichards, xandromedax, meNyou.2, bookdiva96, kokylinda, Cristalelle, Spyridon, turtleduck89, pinkyroo, Laurenmk18, WeatherWatch, Missha- MM -, planeteer-rach, Lina03, Pepper-glass, Lisa, Alex, Nymma, The Colorful Crow, Katelynn, wishesanddreams, CooCoobird, loretta537, Tigger76, beautifulandmysterious, stina, Little Writter, Ima, hittocerebattosai, pea blue, hiddenworldwalker, Di Evans and Emily.

Special thanks to danielrichards and Pepper-glass for the especially long reviews, I loved them!

Oh and I changed the Sectemsempra Rayger used after the numerous (lol!) reviews commenting on it. Also, just to remind you, the Bellatrix you're going to read about in these two chapters might seem a bit out of character because she is not the Bellatrix we know. This is Bellatrix before she goes mad in Azkaban. In this fanfic, she's still young, beautiful and not mad...or at least not completely. :)

Enjoy...

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**Chapter 12: Lord Voldemort Jr.**

_A second later the ravaged street was empty, the snow gently covering the corpse that had been left there._

Sirius felt the unusual sensation of being squeezed into a very small space when the Death Eater held his shoulder. Then the blackness disappeared and he breathed in deeply, he had done side-along apparition a few times and he always hated the feeling of constriction. He also knew he was grasping at stray thoughts to block out the horrible truth blaring at him. They had been captured by Death Eaters. And Sirius couldn't remember ever hearing of Death Eater prisoners being released. He couldn't remember Death Eaters ever taking prisoners for that matter.

Cautiously Sirius looked through the waning light at where exactly he had been taken. He finally realized he was not alone and couldn't help the slight sigh of relief that his best friends were with him. There was Remus behind him, abnormally pale. James had Apparated a bit further, coughing as he got up from his knees, already looking around for Lily.

And then there was Harry.

He stood in front, silently waiting for them to be ready. He could pass for a statue, the way he was still. Bellatrix stood a few centimeters away from him, her eyes alight with excitement. But Harry seemed not to notice with her. His expression merely seemed bored, and Sirius shivered unconciously as his eyes raked over them, cold indifference in every feature.

At that moment one of the Death Eaters, the one supporting a still bleeding Greyback, if he correctly remembered what Harry had called him, growled:

'Bellatrix, we need to hurry, I don't know how long Fenrir will last.'

Bellatrix's expression showed she couldn't care less what happened to the injured Death Eater. But shrugging she drawled,

'Well, then, let us walk.'

She stood slightly behind Harry as she nudged him forward. Sirius saw him shiver imperceptibly at the contact. Remus came up next to him while Lily and James walked behind them; the Death Eaters spread around them unevenly, some holding fallen comrades.

Sirius wondered what they were doing in the middle of waist high ferns when they could obviously have Apparated in the manor he could see they were heading to in the distance. Then he remembered they would probably have wards all over the place. The group did not talk for the first half of the distance, as they walked silently were it not for Greyback's unconscious grunting. Sirius thought his friends might be, like he was, trying to absorb all the unbelievable events that had happened in the space of a few hours. All his thoughts were jumbled up, _Dumbledore's conversation with Harry…the attack…Harry being a Parceltongue…Bellatrix…_ Bellatrix seemed to have gotten bored as she looked at her silent blonde haired companion ponderingly.

_They hadn't blindfolded them_, Sirius realised suddenly with a sense of hopelessness. He was not a fool, if they let them see a Death Eater hideout there was no chance they would release them- alive. For a wild moment Sirius thought perhaps Harry would attack Bellatrix like he had done before, maybe snatch her wand, punch her in the face. After all, they looked more like lovers in the sunset, walking together, Bellatrix's wand loosely in her hand. But no, Sirius saw as he observed closer. They were too alert, their movements too aware of each other, Harry's breathing too controlled. He knew instinctively Harry would have already throttled her if it wouldn't put them in harm's way.

Finally Bellatrix spoke: 'You do not seem very worried about meeting my Master.'

'Should I be?' Harry said in a cool voice Sirius had never heard before. It was like the silence before the storm.

'Most people would be.'

'I am not like most people.'

'I have already seen that.'

'You have seen nothing.' Harry's cool voice had broken at the last word, a small shadow of the passion he seemed to be controlling bursting through.

It seemed Bellatrix heard it too as she said: 'You seem to hate me. May I know why?'

It was unreal, Sirius thought, the polite conversation they were having, like if they had not been dueling to death a few moments before, but for once Sirius kept his mouth shut.

Harry countered her question with one of his own.

'Tell me, I have always wanted to know why you follow him.'

'The Dark Lord offers much to those who are loyal to him.'

'So you kill out of loyalty?' Harry asked, his voice unnoticeably shaken.

'Oh no, I kill out of pleasure.' She said quite complacently.

There was no more conversation as they reached the manor's gates. Bellatrix raised her left arm as if she was saluting an invisible friend, while the conscious Death Eaters did the same. Confidently she led them forward until they reached the main doors of the manor. But before she could open it a man opened the doors, his face in the shadows.

'Bellatrix.' He said as way of a greeting, then his eyes widened as he took the rest of the group.

'What is- Bellatrix are you mad? The Dark Lord already is weary of your tardiness. How foolish to bring him visitors. His rage will not abate with torturing them.'

'You worry Rudolphus, in a manner that is unseemly for us purebloods. Believe me; my Lord will reward me for this.'

'As you wish, it is your head after all. He is in the left wing, the first right. Goyle, get the injured to the right wing.'

Sirius tried to hide his bleak thoughts as they stepped through the doors of the gloomy mansion so like the home he had left.

Their footsteps echoed on the hard stone floor. The sense of impending doom seemed to strike them all. It seemed like hours in meandering corridors before Bellatrix reached a carved wooden door. Knocking, she waited for a second before a cold reply came:

'Enter.'

Even the Death Eaters seemed to feel intimidated as they walked in behind James and Lily, immediately bowing once in the room. Sirius wondered if that was a smart decision, to appear subservient. He immediately felt disgusted, _thinking like a Slytherin, instead of facing death bravely like a Gryffin- _his thoughts were interrupted by Harry. He had walked in the room calmly behind Bellatrix, but now Sirius saw he was looking at the Dark Lord shock evident on his face as he blurted, seemingly against his self imposed silence:

' You're not Voldemort!'

The room reverberated with shock at his statement, as all eyes turned to the blonde haired boy, and they all watched understanding flit on his face. Sirius wondered what was happening to him, if the fighting had unhinged him, but really started to fear for his sanity when Harry started laughing his trademark bitter laugh.

* * *

Harry had felt more vulnerable then he had in any adventure with Hermione and Ron when he gave up his wand. Because, if the three Marauders and Lily died, it would alter the whole universe not to mention the fact that it would be utterly his fault. Again. As he had failed to keep a leash on his temper, as he had failed them, like he had in the future.

He did not recognize the place they Apparated, though when he saw the manor, he knew it must be one the pure blood Death Eater's dwelling. And by the time they had started walking; Harry had decided the best plan of action would be to distance himself from his companions. He knew he didn't have a chance in hell of getting out of here, but if he struck a bargain with Voldemort, perhaps, perhaps they could get out. Voldemort wanted to see him suffer, but his hate of the Boy-Who-Lived might cloud his judgment. Perhaps Harry could lure him in a duel. He knew these were desperate hopes. Voldemort had promised him hell by killing his loved ones, and this would be the perfect opportunity. And this time, Harry did not have a brilliant plan. He could have no help from Hermione, Ron, Dumbledore or Dobby.

He was all alone.

Then, they had entered the room. Harry had briefly taken in the cold space, void of furniture.

And then he saw him.

And him was not Lord Voldemort. Or at least not the Voldemort he knew. If Harry had been asked to describe him, he would have said it looked like Voldemort's younger, less finished brother. He had the waxy complexion of the Lord he knew, but his nostrils were not yet a snakes and his eyes only had a tinge of red. But the biggest difference was his frame. He did not have a fragile corpse of a body, he could still pass as handsome.

He was Lord Voldemort Junior.

That's when Harry started laughing. He couldn't help it, but a modicum of relief flowed through and coupled with the realization of the irony; that the vision he had gotten had been from the young Voldemort, and that Lord Voldemort Senior had not got a host of past Death Eaters working for him had been the last straw.

All eyes were on Harry, as his bitter laugh echoed off the silent room. Lord Voldermort Junior watched him, irritation on his features. Harry knew he had to think of a back-up plan quickly, but it was interesting to see that in this time, Lord Voldemort still felt human emotions like irritation. Again he knew he couldn't underestimate this Voldemort, but he had a big advantage over him in this game. He knew how Lord Voldemort worked, but the latter didn't know didn't know where Harry's loyalties lay. He didn't know Harry was to be his doom, he didn't know Harry would rather die than join him; in short he didn't know the Boy-Who-Lived.

'I assume I have a good reason for not killing the boy now and here Bellatrix, and I assume you have a good reason for why you have decided to bring in prisoners.' The Lord said menacingly.

From her deep bow, Bellatrix said in awe: 'My Lord, forgive me, but he seemed to have…qualities.'

Voldemort looked at her in silence and she took it as an invitation.

'My Lord, the boy incapacitated four of your loyal servants. He is a skilled duelist and of noble blood.'

'Bellatrix I grow weary of your excuses, speak.' He hissed.

'My Lord, he is a Parceltongue.'

Lord Voldemort's head snapped to Harry, as he breathed:

'Impossible.'

Harry looked back at him squarely. Unnoticed by the two, he had quickly metamorphed his character into what he decided would allow the greatest chance of survival for the four frozen students behind him. He knew Lord Voldemort would only keep him alive if he was interesting enough, curiosity after power had always been his weak point, besides his inability to love of course, but that wasn't the point. Being a complete follower of the Dark Arts would not be believed, he had just taken out a few Death Eaters after all. But giving his true beliefs to the future mad man in front of him would be suicidal, so Harry chose the grey line.

'So you are Lord Voldemort?'

It was a statement more than a question and he uttered it more calmly than he felt. He could not appear too intimidated, or he would not be taken seriously.

'And you are a Parceltongue?'

Voldemort replied, slowly turning around Harry, while the latter stayed straight, eyes in front.'

'Perhaps.' Harry answered.

With no warning, Nagini, who had been slithering around Voldemort crept up Harry's leg, then enveloped his torso, her head eye-level with his, staring into his green eyes. Harry wondered if she was a Horcrux yet, but did nothing else than stare back.

'She could kill you in a fraction of a second.' Voldemort told him like if he was stating the weather. 'Not even a fang or a burst of poison; she could simply snap your neck.' He breathed next to Harry's ear.

'_Nagini is too ssssmart to kill sssomeone as useful as me_.' Harry said, but unintentionally speaking Parceltongue.

'_Ssso you ssspeak.'_ Lord Voldemort said a satisfied tone in his voice and Harry wondered if that had been his aim all along.

'_I ssspeak.'_ He replied heavily. Then, looking straight at Nagini he said:

'_Releassse me Nagini.'_

'_Sssscared human?' _The snake replied and Harry could have sworn she sounded a bit smug. He chuckled with humor he couldn't feel, _'No, you are jussst are a bit heavy oh great snake.' _With a slight hiss she slithered down.

Voldemort had been watching the exchange carefully, hell Harry could bet everyone in the room had been staring though he could not risk turning his back to Voldemort.

'What's your name boy?'

'What is yours?' Harry replied, keeping up with the un-intimidated charade he put on. He saw a flash of red in his nemesis' eyes, but it was immediately gone, as he raised his wand lazily, behind them Harry heard a moan of fear and Lily's voice said:

'His name is Harry Infinitus.' Harry stiffened at her voice, willing her not to interfere.

On the other hand, Voldemort smiled, or grimaced more like, his attention still fixed on Harry.

'Do not test me…Harry. How could you be a Parceltongue, only the heir…'

Voldemort's mutter died down and he eyed Harry contemplatively. For a second Harry wondered why he was staring at him so deeply before a battering ram entered his head, drenching his mind into fiery pain. Harry fell to the floor, his hands on his head, but he knew there was nothing more important than keeping his mind locked from Voldemort so he immediately conjured an image of Sirius, and thought about the love and affection he held for his Godfather. He heard Voldemort hiss with pain, and conjured another image, of Lily.

'Get…out…of…my head!' He managed to spit out.

Harry knew Voldemort was using Legilimency, not possessing him, but it seemed even that connection was too strong for him not to feel pain at Harry's love. It was nearly laughable to think he wasn't even the right Voldemort to feel the connection in the first place, but Harry did not get into a deep magical debate with himself, he was just happy he had managed to keep Voldemort at bay, for the moment. But their minds were too interconnected, suddenly Harry found himself in Voldemort's brain, the moment was too fleeting for Harry to really see anything, but he felt a wish, another curiosity of Voldemort's, and he smiled grimly.

A few feet from him, Voldemort had not fallen down but was paler, if that was possible, and he seemed to regard Harry with a new gleam of curiosity.

'You have done well Bellatrix, he will be a worthy addition to our ranks one day.'

Then he finally looked at the four students behind Harry.

'But I do not see why you have brought others.'

'My Lord, it was the only way to disarm him.'

'Well, there is no need for them anymore, dispose of them.'

He said it carelessly, but his eyes did not look away from Harry, waiting for him to react…and Harry was forced to play his hidden cards as he snarled:

'Anyone touches them and you will never find out what Dumbledore is looking after, going to visit Grindelwald's arcane research.'

Harry had gleaned that bit from his little trip in Voldemort's head just then, and he knew he had aimed right as Voldemort raised his arm to stop Bellatrix, and looked at Harry.

'You seem to know more than you're letting on boy. What would a Parceltongue want with a bunch of school children?'

' '_We do not harm children until they are adults,_' a centaur once told me. Are we to be lower than animals? By doing something they wouldn't even stoop to?' Harry was playing with the fact that Voldermort considered everything not wizard, not pure blood really, to be animals.

'Yet you do not consider yourself a child?' Voldemort said, again as a statement.

'Do you consider me such?' Harry replied coldly, sweat trickling down his back.

'You do not manage to persuade me; Dumbledore is no great concern, and your companions are useless to me.'

Voldemort drawled, his eyes flickering over the faces, stopping a moment at Sirius's. Slowly he raised his wand, 'In fact, I don't think this conversation is advancing at all. Let's start with the Mudblood, I can smell her filth from here.'

Harry, who had been slightly parallel to Voldemort now stepped directly in front of Voldemort's wand, which had been hovering in front of James, or more like a Lily shielded by James. If someone died it would be him first, he was tired of watching his loved ones die before him.

'You have a death wish boy?' Voldemort hissed.

Harry ignored him, hissing: 'Really, well what about a half blood? How filthy are they in your books? Because you must have so much self loathing curdling inside you if you think as much as of them as Muggleborns.' All thoughts of plan gone from his head, he let some of his recklessness come out, it was the only method he could think of to keep the mad man focused on him.

'What are you saying?'

Voldemort replied, unsure if Harry was just stabbing in the dark, raising his wand threateningly until it was singing a hole in Harry's chest.

'Let's stop with the theatrics and games _Tom_, you know you won't kill me until you find out how I know all I know.'

Voldemort reared back, 'How-How could you-'

But he was interrupted by the door opening violently and a Death Eater striding in, not apologizing or bowing but going straight to Voldemort, whispering something in his ear.

Voldemort scowled, 'It seems the Headmaster is trying quite hard to get you back.'

Harry wondered silently how exactly he was doing that, keeping his face indifferent, as Voldemort continued, 'Which means you are valuable to me. Bellatrix, accompany our guest to the basement, make sure Mr. Infinitus doesn't try anything foolish, hmm, and take the rest of his companions with him.' With that Voldemort glided out, the Death Eaters following.

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Muahaha, I hope I surprised some people with it being the wrong Voldemort. So now the reviewers who were confused over which Voldemort it was know the vagueness was on purpose! Okay, now go read the next chapter quick!


	13. Chapter 13: Go to Hell!

Aren't you glad I didn't make you wait?

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**Chapter 13: Go...to...Hell!**

'_Bellatrix, accompany our guest to the basement, make sure Mr. Infinitus doesn't try anything foolish, hmm, and take the rest of his companions with him.' With that Voldemort glided out, the Death Eaters following. _

Harry didn't let himself relax as the main threat left the room. Voldemort in this time was a complex enemy already. And Bellatrix couldn't be underestimated either as she looked at Harry the way one looks at a wrapped gift. He raised an eyebrow at her, ignoring him she strode behind them.

'You heard my Lord, let's get you housed.'

Harry finally gave his back to her as he walked towards the door, confident she would not defy Voldemort's order. But turning around meant facing the four students behind him. Harry could hardly keep his face cold as Sirius eyed him with open distrust, and Remus and James with only slightly veiled expressions. Harry felt something die in him, they didn't know, of course they wouldn't know what he was doing. And to them, he looked just as dark as the rest of the people that had been in the room, never mind that he was protecting them. Finally he looked at Lily, but white-faced, she did not seem to have computed too much during the face off. Bellatrix jabbed him with his wand and he started walking again. They reached a spiral staircase which seemed to be crumbling with age. Harry walked on first, balancing his weight as he turned around to help the person behind him, but his hand withdrew as he saw Sirius' expression. He needed to harden his heart, you got nowhere with Voldemort by _being a foolish boy who wears his heart on his sleeve_, as Snape would say. He did not know how deep they went but he tried to stay alert to the winding ways they were taking, he would need to remember everything around him. Suddenly, a figure stopped him short. Harry groaned inwardly as he faced Greyback. The man had been hit by Sectumsempra, there was no way he was out of bed without dark magic, _how could healing magic be dark though?_ Harry wondered at the same time, his brain disconnecting from the situation.

Greyback had been brought still, shocked by Harry's appearance.

'Bellatrix! What is the meaning of this? The only satisfaction to the pain he has caused me was imagining him dead.' He snarled.

'The Dark Lord has ordered us to keep them alive.' Bellatrix said back smoothly, 'And I daresay you will look all the more what you are with those scars on your face.'

Harry tried to remember if Greyback had had scars in his time, had he changed the past again? Meanwhile Greyback had started smiling, which didn't reassure Harry.

'The Dark Lord said to keep alive?' He repeated slowly.

'And in relatively good hea-'

But Harry's snarky comeback was not to be finished, as Greyback punched him straight in the chest, with the brute force of a large man and werewolf. Harry's slight body hit the other wall and he felt everything turning black as he heard Lily's whimper and Bellatrix's exasperated voice:

'Wait until I put him in his cell at least…'

* * *

James had to physically restrain Lily when Greyback hit Harry. He watched him smash against the wall and then staying immobile. With a lazy flick of her wand Bellatrix levitated Harry, and she resumed walking, as if nothing had happened, Greyback burning holes in their backs as they walked by. The room they were brought to was not a dungeon in the literal sense of the word but it was just as well guarded and uncomfortable. The grey walls had no windows and mold had started on the single wooden chair in the room. Bellatrix pushed them roughly in, wand out, as they warily looked around in the dim light produced by the few candles. James watched her carefully as she deposited Harry on the floor, trying to find a way to have the advantage. But there was none, he thought hopelessly, his hand gripping Lily's. Harry was now being chained magically to the wall, and James wondered at the added cruelty. But then, Harry was considered more dangerous than them, he _was_ more dangerous. The reality of the situation finally settled in as Bellatrix left, without a word, the door closing silently behind her with their last hopes.

Remus fell to the ground, feeling drained.

'You okay Remus?' Sirius asked worriedly.

'We're being held by a mad man and we don't have out wands, I got hit by a dark curse and Greyback is in the same household, but yeah other than that I'm dandy.'

Meanwhile Lily had hurried to Harry's side, frantically trying to find his pulse. She suddenly looked up to James smiling in a way James had never seen her do, a real smile, if a bit hysterical.

'He's alive.' She breathed.

'Oh Goodie, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't even be here.' Sirius muttered.

Lily's eyes flashed dark as she absentmindedly stroked Harry's hair.

'Sirius! If he hadn't been there I would have been mauled by a snake and you would all probably be dead.'

'Yeah, speaking of that, I think we need a serious Harry meeting.'

'Remus, we're stuck in a freaking Death Eater hide out and you want to obsess about Harry?!' James exclaimed.

'He's a Parceltongue James.' Sirius said quietly.

James was about to bite back but Lily got to it first, 'Yeah and you're a Black, have we ever treated you like a stinking Death Eater?'

'Lily, you don't get it, I grew up hearing about Parceltongue, and it's a revered Slytherin ability. Salazar was one, and so is You-Know-Who, and look how they both turned out.'

'Harry's a Gryffindor Black, and you are behaving like a spoilt kid.'

Sirius cursed in reply, and James opened his mouth to protest against the fight between both of them but Remus interjected first:

'Can we discuss the facts first?'

'What facts? I mean Moony, look at how he was fighting, you think he learnt that at school?'

'Well why didn't You-Know-Who accept him with open arms?' Lily replied, not going to sit quiet in this Marauder meeting.'

'I don't know, but he's been hiding stuff since he first came here, couldn't you see it?'

'He's with Dumbledore, I know that much, and that makes me trust him.' Remus replied.

'What do you mean he's with Dumbledore?' James asked.

Sirius had the grace to look embarrassed as his eyes flickered to Harry's unconscious form.

'Well mate, you know when you were running after Lily here in Hogsmeade…'

'You didn't.' James said, a slight grin forming on his face, 'Without me! So that's were you vanished.'

'Vanished where?' Lily cried all thoughts of their situation gone.

'We tailed Harry.' Remus explained.

'Why would you do that?' Lily asked.

'Because wanted to find out where he found those gorgeous robes.' Sirius rolled his eyes, 'We knew he was up to something.'

'But that's, that's…'

'That's what Marauder's do.' James said, 'So?'

'He went through the one eyed-witch to Hogsmeade.' Sirius said seriously, after glancing hesitatingly towards Lily, which James waved off.

'What! How could he know that, we didn't find it until our third year, he hasn't even been here for…for… a year!'

'Yeah, that's what we were wondering.' Sirius said darkly.

'But that's not all.' Remus said quietly.

'Guess who he met at Hogsmeade?'

'Malfoy?'

'No, Professor Dumbledore.'

James let that sink in, wondering how the puzzle fit together. He looked at Moony, but the logical Marauder didn't seem to have made a lot of headway either.

'Why…Why would they meet?' Lily asked the question they had all been thinking.

'I don't know, but from the conversation they were having they weren't discussing picnics.'

'What did they talk about?' Lily asked this time.

The Marauders seemed to have forgotten she was not part of their group and she wasn't going to alert them about it, she was finding out that their resources for finding out things about Harry were much larger than hers.

'Well, we couldn't make too much sense of it, but it seems someone want Harry dead, badly. I think Harry fought a duel with him-

'Or her-' Lily interjected.

'No him,' Sirius said glaring at her for interrupting him, 'And he somehow got sent here.'

'Well that's understandable,' James said.

'Perhaps it was You-know-Who?' Sirius said excitedly.

Remus rolled his eyes, 'Padfoot, the guy didn't know who Harry was.'

'Oh yeah, right.'

'But wait, the thing is, the curse wasn't supposed to work out like that, it was supposed to banish him, something about limbo…'

James whistled, then asked: 'What do you think Rem? Has your elevated consciousness figured anything out yet?'

'Mmm,' Remus said unsure, 'It's just, I remember the way they were both talking, I hadn't time to really think about it given the situation, but the way they were talking, it reinforces everything we know already-'

'Get to the point.' Sirius interrupted.

'Harry knows Dumbledore.'

The statement was met by silence then James grinned, 'You okay mate? I know we got caught by Death Eaters and all that but of course he knows Dumbledore, everyone knows Dumbledore, you know, because Grindelwald and all that.'

'No,' Remus snapped back, 'The way the were talking, they knew each other personally, well and they were talking on equal terms, they looked like they shared a big history. And look at him in Hogwarts. I think he's been there before.'

'But we would have noticed if he had ever been in school, I mean, he's kind of…' James tried to find the right word.

'Unforgettable.' Lily finished.

'Precisely.'

'Great! We're nowhere near figuring him out as we were the first day at Hogwarts.'

'Why do you want to figure him out so badly?' Lily asked quietly.

The three boys stared back at her blankly. Finally, Sirius said:

'We're Marauders. Besides, there's just something about Harry that doesn't add up, something dangerous.'

Sirius suddenly seemed to realized who he was talking to and shut his mouth. But Lily smiled triumphantly, knowing she had got all the answers she wanted.

'We should be trying to find a way out of this hell hole.'

'Fine,' Sirius snapped sarcastically, 'tell me when you find the key.'

'Sirius, come one mate, we might still find something.' James said weakly, trying to inject hope in his voice.

'James, who do you think I am? Lily?' Lily tried to protest loudly but Sirius continued:' I was brought up by these people, remember? They don't forgive and forget, and they don't release people, now all we can do is hope for a quick death.'

'Sirius!' Lily said outraged: 'Since when have you been a defeatist? How utterly convenient to say all hope is lost and wait like a lamb for slaughter. We can figure something out. We have to fight!'

'No.'

The quiet voice startled all four of them as they stared at Harry. The latter was slowly raising himself, holding the wall to support himself, when suddenly the chains jangled. They watched Harry turn in surprise and swear colorfully when he noticed the chains.

'Maybe we can tug them out of the wall if we all pull.' Lily said timidly, not recognizing the timid boy from school.

'No.' Harry said again harshly. 'If it's Bellatrix who put them, they'll be magically secured.' Releasing the chains he was fingering he sat heavily against the wall.

'No what?' Sirius said darkly, who hadn't listened to anything after that word, and felt like doing exactly the opposite of whatever Harry would say.

Harry turned his jet green eyes onto his. 'No we don't fight.'

Sirius seemed to forget his whole earlier speech about giving up as he said haughtily. 'Well we don't want to stay in this pit any longer than possible, so yeah fighting seems like a good idea.'

James would have laughed at Sirius' complete turn of emotions if the situation hadn't been so serious. Harry on the other hand didn't seem to find it funny at all as he glared at all of them. Finally he sighed, lowering his gaze.

'Yes that is the quickest way to get out, but you would come out dead. You can't fight them in their own territory when they're in such a large pack.

'And you would know how?' Remus asked quietly instead of sarcastically.

A ghost of a frown crossed Harry's face. He had escaped once, during the Horcrux search, memories seemed to flash, the Malfoy manor, Hermione screaming, Greyback snarling, Bellatrix laughing, Dobby lying dead, in a pool of his own blood. He closed his eyes.

'Past experience. There's no way out, we would need outside help, and even then there might be some casualties.'

'Wait, what! You've been in this situation before?' James yelped.

'Forget I said anything. I need you all to focus. They're going to antagonize you; they're going to try making you angry. You must not respond. Don't let make you lose your temper,' at this he looked at Lily especially, if his temper came from the genes, one of his parents must have had a formidable temper and he would bet his money on Lily. Lily blushed, and he knew he had aimed right. Turning to the whole group again he continued under their shocked silence. 'Until Voldemort returns,' he ignored the winces, 'we are relatively safe. The Death Eaters would not dare disobey him.'

'So what you're saying is we're fine until daddy returns.' Sirius said his voice a magnificent display of sarcasm.

Harry bit his lip, knowing Sirius was just worried like the rest; after all this was not a normal situation for seventeen year olds.

'We will be kept alive, not safe,' Harry said softly. 'Try not to show too much solidarity between yourselves or they will torture your friends just to get a rise at you. James, don't stand protectively in front of Lily and don't for God's sake, lose your temper if they call her…stuff.'

The other three boys seemed about to protest, but Lily looked at him straight in the eyes and nodded, her eyes understanding. She looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her at that moment, her chin stubbornly in the air.

'And now what do we do?' Remus asked.

'We wait. Dumbledore won't rest until he finds us, so we just have to wait for reinforcements.'

'You seem awfully sure of the Headmaster for someone you've only met a few days ago.'

'But everyone's heard of Dumbledore right.' He replied edgily, 'he isn't the type of man who would allow his students to come to harm.' Harry seemed to think that settled it, and slowly tried to find the uncomfortable position to rest.

'What are you doing?' James asked puzzled.

'Sleeping.' Harry said shortly, 'You should try to too.'

'But-but....'

'You have something better to do?' Harry raised his eyebrow, before closing his eyes.

Harry Potter was not actually, as he had told them, trying to sleep. But his semblance of confidence he knew would inspire a bit in them. And he did need to think. The lie he had told them about Voldemort was all very well, but he knew Dumbledore wouldn't be coming any time soon. At least not his Dumbledore. Besides he was not in the habit of waiting for someone to save him. He knew people who relied too much on others winded up dead. But then what could he do? Join Voldemort for pretend? Harry didn't think he could do it, even to save his life. To have the snake branded into his left arm. And they would surely test him, make him commit atrocities. He felt rather than saw the others copying him and lying down. But for them; for Sirius, James, Remus…and Lily. Wouldn't he do it for Lily? Didn't Snape sacrifice everything for her? Didn't he commit evil for her? Didn't he love his mother as much as Snape did at least? Harry shuddered involuntarily. There had to be another way. But Harry was used to being a realist and this time there wasn't even Aberforth here to send help.

He was all alone.

* * *

Something was moaning. Sirius thought sleepily, before feeling the cold ground and sitting up straight shocked. It took a fraction of second before he realized where exactly he was and the events of the past day to come rushing back. He moaned at the thought, and heard his moan being echoed. He could not guess whether it was morning or still night; the only light came form the magically lit candles. Sirius immediately checked on James, but his best friend was snoring, mouth open, and a hand thrown across to Lily who was curled up in a ball. Remus was more to the side, next to the door, his nose twitching at some dream. Another intelligible phrase turned Sirius to Harry. The boy, was sleeping, in a sitting position, but whatever he was having a nightmare about was really shaking him up. He was moving around in his sleep, unconsciously trying to move the shackles. Sighing Sirius got up, his muscles protesting and walked to Harry intending to wake him up.

'Not Lily….'

Sirius froze, his hand stilling. Harry was dreaming about Lily. And he didn't know how he was supposed to feel about it.

'Don't kill…please…' The raw fear in the boy's voice got Sirius moving again, and he started shaking him.

'Harry? Harry wake up.'

The boy didn't wake up slowly. One minute he was moaning in his sleep the next he had his eyes open, crouching as he tried to find his wand. As soon as he realized who he was staring at, Harry relaxed- a little.

'What happened?' He whispered.

'Nothing, you were having a nightmare.'

He saw the blonde boy blush slightly, making him look much younger than his eyes.

'Right, thanks I guess, I might have woken the others up.' Sirius frowned; even now he seemed to care only about them. Either he was a master at deceit or he was genuinely selfless.

'I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier.' Harry said quietly to Sirius, leaning against the wall next to him, both looking at the sleeping forms of their companions. And Sirius wondered how he was sitting next to Harry having a midnight conversation at whatever time it was.

'I guess that's the part where I apologize for my behavior.' Sirius said heavily.

He started when Harry chuckled lightly, 'You never apologize, you're always right remember?'

_How would he know that?_ But Sirius knew he would get nowhere with asking that. So he said something else, something that had been bothering him for a while.

'This may not be the best time, but James…James likes lily.'

'You think I didn't know that Sirius?' Harry said amusement still in his voice.

Sirius continued heatedly, 'And you seem pretty interested in Lily too, I mean for God's sake you were just dreaming about her!' Looking at Harry he added: 'Don't get in between them.'

Harry had turned white at the dream comment, and now he stared back at Sirius. They stayed in a silent staring match for a few seconds before Harry broke it.

'Don't worry, believe me I am not trying to steal Lily from James. In fact, do you want to bet against me? I say they'll be together by the end of the year.' Under his breath he added: 'for my sake.'

Sirius could only hear truth from his voice, so he nodded, a bit harshly.

'Can I not just care about her and not want to snog her?' Harry asked, suddenly, bitterly.

'Boys don't care about girls that way.'

Harry smiled gently, 'One of my best friends is a girl, that doesn't mean I want to date her.' Sirius had nothing to say to that, and they sat in silence for another few minutes.

Suddenly Harry cocked his head, then abruptly shoved Sirius away from him, onto James and Lily, who woke up with a start.

'Harry what are-' Sirius' voice woke Remus up, but before he could finish his sentence he heard it too; the footsteps, echoing towards them. Immediately they drew back from the door, wide alert. Harry meanwhile closed his eyes, composing his face back into the emotionless mask. When he opened them again, Bellatrix was in front of him, Greyback behind her smirking. At their entrance, the candles seemed to flare and produce more light, reflecting the five grimy faces contrasting with Bellatrix's pale complexion.

'How did you sleep dear Harry?' She called out, drawling her words out like a Malfoy.

'I must say the furnishings were not up to Black standards, and I haven't seen anything resembling your crest. Hasn't your dear aunt been informed of this dreadful lapse?' He drawled out coldly back, eliciting surprised stares from the Marauders as they saw Harry change to a cold distant stranger.

Bellatrix on the other hand looked like a child who had just been handed a big present. Slowly she walked the final steps to Harry, before crouching down in front of him.

Harry worked his hardest to conceal his disgust form her as she moved closer. Suddenly she was caressing his cut cheek with the tip of her wand, watching his emotionless mask not change.

'You hide fear well.' She said satisfied, 'but what about your other emotions? Happiness… sadness… lust…' Meanwhile she had brought her other hand to caress his cheek, knowing he could not move, then trailed it down his throat to rest on his chest. She brought her face close, and with satisfaction saw him betray his first sentiment: alarm. Smiling she brought he lips onto his, capturing his mouth into an intimate kiss. Harry sat frozen when she first kissed him. But he could not help the gasp of revulsion that tore through his throat as he desperately jangled his hands against the chains that shackled him.

'I swear I'll kill you for this Bellatrix.' Harry snarled, forgetting all composure as he felt like retching. Sirius' murderer kissing him.

'Ah, not so good so good at hiding emotions after all.' Bellatrix said smirking, her hands still lightly caressing his face.

At that moment, Harry leaned forward, and with the small movement he could make grabbed Bellatrix's wand from her grasp. In the half second in which the room stayed frozen Harry aimed his wand to the hunched students in the room and issued a non verbal spell. Immediately, Greyback had started forward, but Bellatrix observed him with amusement.

'Are you really this foolish? Have I misjudged you Harry?' She whispered not moving her hand from his face or stepping back.

'You didn't.' Harry spit back, and with that he threw the wand away from his grasp. It rolled on the floor and stopped at the wall. Harry knew stealing Bellatrix's wand would not help him get them all out of here, there were still too many Death Eaters in the manor. But at least he had managed to incapacitate the Marauders and Lily with a simple _Stupefy._ He had had a sense of déjà vu as he immobilized his friends; of Dumbledore throwing the spell at him before he died by Snape's hand, as he had watched helpless. And he wondered if this would end the same way. He hoped neither of the Death Eaters had seen what he had done, after all the others were slightly in the shadows and he didn't want them to do anything rash. He would deal with this. Meanwhile Bellatrix was still caressing him, her hand making Goosebumps as she touched Harry's skin.

'You do not like this do you.'

She said, as she leaned forward, towards him, her lips nearly touching his. In response Harry spat in her face. Greyback pulled out his wand but Bellatrix calmly wiped it off. And then captured Harry's lips into another violent kiss. When she finally let go, she licked the blood of her lips. Harry's blood. She had cut his lip.

'I will kill you.' Harry spat out, his eyes taking a maniacal glint as he stared at her.

'You smell like My Lord.' Harry stared at her with hooded eyes, silent. Bellatrix continued still like if they were holding a normal conversation.

'I have never met you. And yet you hate me. Personally. More then Greyback even.'

She stood up and paced before him.

'I heard my dear cousin Sirius Black doesn't talk about home so you can't hate me by association. I must have done something to you, but what is it?' She eyed him like one eyes an interesting bug they're about to crush.

Harry stared at them mutely.

Bellatrix sighed. 'Well, I hoped we wouldn't go there. It does seem a bit crude since you _are_ our guest.'

She said it mockingly.

In a smooth movement she recuperated her wand. 'So? I am bored of your silence. Answer me. Crucio.'

Harry had known she would Crucio him, and he felt the familiar pain, the crushing white hot knives into every inch of your body. The inability to think of anything but how to make the pain stop. But he would not give in. He would not scream for her to stop. He would go mad before he uttered a word. Lost in a world of pain he did not know when she let it off. But suddenly the pain was gone and Harry could see the room again. For a second he might have lost consciousness but his hate for her led him to sit straight back up.

'Has that loosened your tongue?' she asked pleasantly. Harry licked his bleeding lip and smiled.

'Go to hell! You think I've never had Crucio done on me?' She smiled.

'My, we are brave today. Tell me, have you ever endured constant Crucio? For hours and hours on end… My Lord will not be home for some time, and I do not think I'll leave the Lestrange Manor until he comes back. Time to learn all your secrets…'

Harry blanched slightly but before he could riposte a muffled snarling voice came to them.

'Leave him the bloody hell alone!' It was Sirius. Harry fleetingly wondered how he had broken his spell before realizing it must have been when he had slipped unconscious for a second.

Bellatrix smile got wider as she turned her head to her cousin, who was still half bound by Harry's jinx.

'What?'

'I said leave him alone.'

'Aww, does Siwius not wanna see Hawwy hurt?'

She said in a taunting voice which turned hard as she continued.

'Fine by me, I know more than one Black wants to pay you back for the last trick. Running off to the Potter's home Sirius? Leaving your poor little brother alone? Don't you feel the least bit guilty?'

Sirius clenched his jaw.

'Very well let's play how-long-can-Sirius-stay-sane game?' and she raised her wand.

'Don't you dare.' Harry gasped; she tilted her head towards him like a child.

'Or what?' she mocked challengingly.

Harry changed tact. 'Tell me, how is your dear sister doing?'

Bellatrix stared at him puzzled. 'What are you-'

'I heard Andromeda's match didn't make everyone happy. Did you wish the newly weds good luck?' He taunted her.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief as Bellatrix forgot all about causing Sirius pain and turned to Harry.

'How would you know what that muggle loving bitch did?' Even before letting him answer she shouted:

'Crucio!'

Harry had never known Bellatrix's temper was as bad as his, and the thought made him laugh, through the unrelenting pain. Bellatrix raised her wand for a second as she looked at him questioningly and Harry said:

'You can torture me until your Master returns, but you will never get any answers from me.'

Bellatrix considered the truth of his words and suddenly she strode out of the room. Puzzled Greyback stood in his place, alternatively looking a the door and Harry, glaring. Harry wondered what instrument of torture she could think of now, trying to ready himself mentally. After an indeterminable time, Bellatrix entered the room, her face triumphant.

'You know Harry; a few days ago I went on a raid at the ministry. They were working on this new potion.' She brandished a small transparent potion bottle, containing a liquid. Harry paled visibly when he saw it.

'Do you know what it's called?'

'Veritaserum…' Harry breathed in horror. How was he supposed to have known the potion had been invented in this time?

To say Bellatrix looked surprised was an understatement.

'How would you know anything- never mind. Well this potion-,' she continued, for the benefit of her audience,

'forces you to tell the truth, yeah I know.' Harry said harshly.

Bellatrix turned to Harry's companions, 'Have you always felt as if Harry was being truthful with you? From the little I can see he must have kept more secrets than Merlin himself.' Turning back to face Harry she continued, 'Do you also know it has not been perfected yet? They say Veritaserum kills you in less than a week if the antidote is not taken. Imagine how much pain you will be in during that time. I have the antidote but I am in no hurry to give it to you if resist. Apparently the poison spreads faster in that case.'

Harry looked desperately around, trying to think of anything that would delay her.

'Do you like werewolves Bellatrix?' He asked.

She looked puzzled for a second before smiling, 'No more off topics Harry, I have a lot I want to ask you.' She advanced, and like a caged animal, he recoiled futilely against the wall.

'Come on Harry, aah.' She gave a horrible mockery of a child opening their mouth to eat, but she was relentless- still Harry refused. Finally, she pointed her wand at Sirius.

'Do you want your friends to hurt? Don't think I didn't notice your non verbal spell just before, impressive by the way.'

Harry knew he was backed up in a corner in every sense of the phrase. Giving up, he opened his mouth to the sickly sweet smelling liquid. It burned down his throat as his eyes lost focus.

* * *

Sirius watched in fascinated horror at the drama issued. He knew James, Lily and Remus were still fighting against the weakening spell Harry had placed on them. He was the only one that had managed to break free during Harry's momentary loss of consciousness. He wondered what he should attempt now, but there was nothing he could do for Harry, and a miniscule part of him wanted to hear the answers Harry would give under the Veritaserum.

Meanwhile Bellatrix gave a laugh.

'Finally, now let's start the questions without you fighting me all the way.' She said as she ruffled Harry's hair. Eerily Harry's face did not protest. It was not the same emotionless mask of before; that had been controlled. This time Harry seemed to be in some kind of torpor as he gazed unfocused in front of him.

'Is your name Harry?' She asked.

'Yes.'

'Do you hate me?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'You killed my Godfather.' In that same emotionless voice.

'Really, my, he mustn't have been a great fighter, I can't remember him. What was his name?'

Beads of sweat started building on Harry's forehead.

'Sirius Black.'

Everyone held their breath at that.

'What! Sirius Black?'

'Yes.'

'That Sirius Black?' She said pointing her hand at Sirius. Harry followed her gaze with his blank stare and looked at Sirius for a long moment.'

'No.'

'I can't remember about another Sirius in our family, I will have to check. So Harry how did you learn to fight so well?'

'By dueling Death Eaters.' Harry was starting to shake now; slight tremors were running through his frame.

Greyback who hadn't made any sound until now growled, 'He's not making any sense, you sure that poison doesn't just mess with the brain?'

'How are you a Parceltongue?'

'A dark curse.'

'Fine, I'll let my Lord figure that out. How did you know about my filthy sister Andromeda?'

'Sirius told me.'

'This Sirius?'

'No.'

'Why haven't you tried to escape until now.'

'Odds against me. I wouldn't be able to bring everyone back alive.'

'Would you ever join us?'

The longest silence ensued. Sweat was now streaming down Harry's face. Slowly he lost the unfocused gaze in his eyes and managed to mutter: 'Go…to…hell.' Before passing out against his chains.

'Foolish boy. I told him not to fight it.' Bellatrix said, her tone indicating it was all Harry's fault. 'And I have so much more to ask him. I shall have to make the antidote now.'

She strode out of the room again. By then, all four of the students were free of the hex. Harry falling unconscious had done that. Sirius managed to restrain Lily until Bellatrix was out of the room before she broke free, tears in her eyes as she rushed to Harry.

This could not go on, Sirius fumed, already feeling guilty he had secretly wanted to find out what Harry was hiding. But not like this. And Harry could not keep taking the brunt of the torture to save them. Hang Harry and his instructions they were going to get out of here.

The three boys looked at each other and nodded. At the silent signal, all three of them whirled around and rushed onto Greyback; hoping to take him by unawares as he stood surveying with a disgusted expression Lily sobbing over Harry. They managed to throw him off his feet before he even noticed they had moved. The three boys immediately tried to grasp his wand out of his hands. Sirius was currently hanging to his feet while James and Remus were keeping him on his back, holding his arms. The latter finally closed his hands on the Death Eater's wand and it seemed like the 3 wizards might actually win. But they had underestimated Greyback's huge frame and the fact that he was a werewolf. Once the surprise of the attack was gone they were at a severe disadvantage. With a slight grunt, Greyback threw Remus who was still attached to his arm across the room. Then he turned on Sirius and James. With his full brute force focused on them they didn't have a chance. Soon enough, James and Sirius found themselves on the ground, at Greyback's feet, with him towering in rage.

However, before Greyback could do anything, there was a large flash, blinding everyone in the room. James watched in amazement as the light disappeared to leave three forms gasping and heaving and getting to their feet. Greyback looked as shocked as they did. But his Death Eater instincts kicked in and he raised the wand he had gotten back from Remus at them. Voldemort's servant didn't have time to utter a curse as three spells blasted him off his feet into the wall. There was total silence in the room as Greyback crumpled to the floor. Even Lily had stopped crying.

The three apparitions were now unconcernedly gazing around.

'Where the hell have you brought us?'

The blonde one drawled, asking his female companion. His eyes wandered haughtily over the occupants of the shabby room, then stopped at James, his eyes widening. He would have gasped if he didn't look so haughty. The girl on the other hand had no such compunction as she took one look at James, gave a choked sob and threw herself into his arms, crying :

'Harry!'

* * *

Please ignore the spelling/grammar mistakes, I still havn't found a beta.

Okay first, I want a review! I mean, I did spend all my breaks in the ICT lab finishing off this reeeeally long chapter so a review is the least you can do. Com on people, I'm aiming for 200 with these two chapters. You can even review once for each chapter if you want. lol. But seriously, I'm not just asking you to review for the sake of reviewing. The truth is, I have no idea what to write now. When I originally planned this story, this is where I stopped thinking. So tell me how you think they should realistically be able to do it. Do you think I went overboard with Harry? I made Bellatrix slightly attracted to him since to her he's a dark powerful wizard, and she has a thing for those, and I don't think she's obsessed to Voldemort like she is in the future yet. Do you think I'm wrong? Do you think I went overboard with the chains? Do you think the Marauders were being childish? I tried to think of how normal teenagers would react but still keep their core personalities...Do you think Lily shouldn't have cried? Was it not in her character?

Okay, second, I'm reassuring the sceptic readers here: There is an explanation for the new time travellers arriving where they did, they did not randomly appear at the right place right time. It's as logical as I could make it, you'll find out in one of the next chapters.

Third: You know how there are three people who arrived? Well two of them I've decided on, you might have realised yourself who the haughty blond guy and his female companion are. But the third one I'm still undecided. I had planned for Fred- or George, I can't remember which one survived to be the thrid simply because none of you suggested him and it would be a surprise and because I havn't seen any good time travelling fanfic's with him. But now I'm not so sure. So what do you think? I could magically get Sirius, and try to find an explanation like he was hiding behind the veil or something. Or keep Fred/George. Or bring a completely new character (invented) who would have the role of worshipping the ground Harry walks on because he's the world's savior....Your choice.

Fourth, for those of you who didn't understand how Harry said it wasn't this Sirius who Bellatrix had killed under the Veritaserum. In Voldemort's lair, Harry distance dhimself from his companions by clearly separating who they are and who they will be. So for Harry, Sirius of this time was not his Godfather of the furture. :)

Fifth, can anyone translate what I assume is a Spanish review, I don't happen to be proficient in it:

_Foi incrivel o capítulo *-*  
vc realmente caprichou Sphyre. Eu adorei.  
Não, eu acho que foi bom a Bella aprecer agora.Não vai mudar muito o rumo da fic. Que por cinal está cada vez melhor *-*_

_Continue postando!  
um beijo._

_Di Evans._

**lillyflower08: Well, I had to kill someone! Besides I think the Marauders will do enough confronting after this. lol. :)**

**Dinatry: I took your advice and tried not to torture him too much. And come to think of it he only had the crucio performed twice on him. Oh and the chains, I couldn't help a little melodrama.**

**danielrichards: Don't worry, Harry's not going to become the new DADA teacher. That would be a bit too unrealistic. Thanks for your great insights, yeah Harry would try and research on his own, he wouldn't wait for Dumbledore...I'll try putting it somewhere in the later chapters. Thanks for the review :)**

**Lina03: Well it won't be a miraculous escape, they are getting outside help but it won't be a Dumbledore rescuing either. As for Remus and Lily having more sense, perhaps. But in my defence, they're not cowards, they wouldn't leave their friends fighting without them.**

**Pepper-glass: Your Review made me laugh for a good few minutes. And then later in the day when I thought about it during my chem class, please share more of your thoughts. :)**

**pea blue: Can you tell me what you didn't like in the beginning...perhaps I could improve it....:)**

Remember review! I just realised this is actually as if I wrote 3 chapters since this one is the length of two normal chapters...I need the inspiration if I ever manage to find the continuation to this fanfic.


	14. Chapter 14: Not Being Harry

Yes I know.I'm late. I'm horrifyingly exasperatingly annoyingly late. I'm sorry. Do you want to hear the excuses?

Excuse #1: I seriously had a huge writer's block or whatever they call it these days. I already said in one of the last chapters I had only planned this fanfic until they were captured, I hadn't suspected I would get so many reviews etc, and then I had a super great plot story line thingy, but it can only happen in like another ten chapters so there.

Excuse #2: I wrote most of this chapter months ago, but it was full of spelling/grammar mistakes (it still is actually!) and I just couldn't bring myself to correct it, and since I hadn't posted it up I couldn't get reviews for it which would have spurred me into writing more. A Beta would be nice...*hint hint*

Excuse #3: I seriously hate the way I wrote this chapter, and I rewrote it a few times, but I still can't get it right, but I figured I would drop tis fanfic if I didn't post up a chapter soon, so *sigh*, I'm not good at action, which is basically this whole chapter.

Excuse #4: I found these amazing fanfictions which basically left me hooked, making me unable to do anything on the laptop but read. Examples are 'Lightning on the wave' who wrote the best Harry-is-not-the-boy-who-lived fanfiction, I warn you, it may take some time to read, there are seven of them, and each has like 100 chappies (Oh and beware, its slash, not my personal preference, but its not the main centre of the fanfic.) Or there's the time travel story 'Holy Freaking Dumbledore' or there is....the list is too long.

Excuse #5: I'm doing A-levels, and its reeeeeeeeally time consuming, with people all around me telling me to drop fanfiction since I'm addicted to it.

Excuse #6: Since I had so many reviews suggesting who should be the third hooded character it took me ages to decide which one, and I wrote half the chaper and then realised it just wasn't right and restarted with a different character. The difficult choice was between Sirius ( I always had a soft spot for him), George and Ginny, I'll explain once the chappie's over why I chose who I chose, and why the characters may seem a bit out of character.

Anyyyyway, those are my excuses, I'm sure most of you just skipped it, I don't blame you, I do sound a bit pathetic. I finally managed to finish this because on Tuesday we didn't have school, if you ask why: it was raining. Yeah I know, it's laughable, but in Dubai, or the UAE really, when there is rain (which only happens like 3 times a year) everything comes to a standstill, so yeah, I was surprisingly at home, and I plucked my courage to face all the faithful followers of this fanfic and Ta-Da! Back to topic: This is the next chapter. I already told you I hate it, but I'm just trying to get them out of that dungeon ASAP. It is a relatively long chappie, chalk it up to guilty feelings as well as affection to all my wonderful reviewers who made me pass the 200 mark. Speaking- or more like writing of reviewers, thanks goes to:

JosefinTonks, Drayconette, S., meNyou.2, bananacupcakes, RemusLupinAddict, Spyridon, jojo, Lina03, Laurenmk18, turtleduck89, Whispering Snowflakes, Dinatry, WeatherWatch, Ileranerak, Missha- MM -, wishesanddreams, beautifulandmysterious, sdov, lillyflower08, Hooplah, Ima, Lyne Morgan, amaramichelle, LaurenBlack, Lovealwayshopes, ificouldmynickwouldbepink-q, pea blue, Little Writter, stina, The Phan Ghost, Flo des bois, ShinSheeka, Jondy, Beckylovex, Katelynn, anonymous, Caoilainn, Anne, dalistar123, books101, yourdorkisabel, crazyme03, HarrysDragon, Live2Sk8, smores503, maxie, Allyieh, Pepper-glass, anonymous #2, anonymous #3, parihpfan, KThxBai, SilverIceBlueEyes

Special thanks to Little Writter, Lyne Morgan, Ileranerak, Lina03 and any others I forgot for translating that Portuguese review!

Okay, now finally Read & Enjoy & Review!

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**Chapter 14: Not Being Harry**

_The three apparitions were now unconcernedly gazing around._

'_Where the hell have you brought us?' _

_The blonde one drawled, asking his female companion. His eyes wandered haughtily over the occupants of the shabby room, then stopped at James, his eyes widening. He would have gasped if he didn't look so haughty. The girl on the other hand had no such compunction as she took one look at James, gave a choked sob and threw herself into his arms, crying:_

'_Harry!'_

It was one of those situations, James thought, where his brain went into frozen-static mode. There was just too much happening. All of it culminating to the girl who had just appeared out of light and flung herself into his arms. Perhaps that was the reason why he didn't say anything to correct her as he winced slightly at her tight hold. The girl meanwhile was still talking:

'I knew it; I just knew we'd find you. God, Harry we've been so worried. When you went missing Ron had to practically -'

She was interrupted by three things.

The first one being Sirius' slightly disgruntled voice as he said: 'Even in a bloody dungeon you manage to have good looking girls throwing themselves at you Jamesie, who the hell-'

The second being the blond guy, who cursing darkly, reached for the girl, and roughly pulled her out of James arms.

And the third being the hooded companion raising his wand at James and saying warningly:

'Hermione, it's not Harry.'

The girl, Hermione apparently, _why did that name sound familiar?_, gave a strangled sound of surprise and took a step back.

'Who are you people?' James asked, his shock only slightly fading.

'We could ask you the same thing-' The blond said drawlingly.

'-But we don't have time. Hermione, we need to get out of here, regroup, and find out what went wrong.' The hooded one interrupted.

'I have no idea what you're talking about,' James said, getting up, 'but you just took out a Death Eater. That makes you on our side. And yes, I agree with you hood guy, we need to get out of here.'

His flippant suggestion was greeted by three wands pointed straight at him.

'Whoa. Let's all just calm down,' Remus interjected as he walked in front of James from where he had been previously, next to Sirius, both of them in front of Lily and Harry.

His appearance did more than calm down the threesome. The blond swore, the hooded one took a step back and Hermione stood slack jawed.

'Re-remus?' She asked hesitantly. James saw Remus gave a start at the girl's word.

'How do you know my name?' He asked bewildered.

But the brown haired girl did not answer as she seemed to regard him with a new light in her eyes.

'Impossible…'

'Right, let's just assume that I'm not having mental delusions, can someone explain what the bloody hell is going on here?' Sirius asked as he too emerged from the shadows.

'Hang on, isn't that Black?' The blond one said, haughty tone finally forgotten in shock, 'Didn't he-'

'Sirius- bloody hell, it's Sirius. I'm starting to understand what Harry did exactly.' The hooded one said in an awed filled voice.

'Then…then that's Harry's- that's James Potter isn't it?' The blond one pointed.

'It might not, remember there's more than one possibility.'

'But it would means the ministry was wrong, as usual Harry did-'

'What do you want with Harry?' A clear hard voice spoke from the back of the room. James frowned; he had wanted Lily to stay out of sight until he had ascertained there was no danger. Blondie raised his wand again, but the other male was already whistling as he started forward,

'He really has the eyes.'

'You mean, that's Lily…'

Hermione trailed off as she saw the inert form chained to the wall, forgotten in the comotion. She took an uncertain step towards it, saying: 'Harry?'

Her steps got more hurried as he didn't respond. Finally she was kneeling gently next to him. She raised his head and could not help the strangled cry of recognition.

'It's him!' she said, looking at her companions, 'he's alive.' She added once she had checked his pulse.

'Why did Harry try to copy my hair?' the blond one drawled, trying to mask his relief.

'Shut up Draco.' She snapped back. With a wave of her wand she blasted the chains off the wall, as she started murmuring spells, trying to find the exact causes of his unconsciousness.

Her companion took a more direct approach. Shaking off his hood to reveal a shock of red hair, a pale face, and dark circles around tense eyes he raised his wand towards them and barked:

'What happened to Harry?'

Lily looked at the raised wand, affronted.

'We didn't do it, if that's what you're implying. And lower that wand please, we're obviously on the same side and I am sick of all the drama. We got captured by Death Eaters, we're currently in one of their hide outs, can you figure out the rest?'

'They performed Crucio on him and he was poisoned. Something called vertares- veritaserum.' Lupin added more helpfully.

'What do you mean we're in a Death Eater hideout?' The hooded-one-now-dubbed-red-hair asked.

'Who do you think the person you just stunned was? Did you guys just come here not knowing what you were up against?' James asked incredulously.

'Voldemort is in power then?' he replied with another question, there were dark undertones in his voice.

'George, not now. We need to get out, first. I can't do anything for Harry here! If he went back, it would make sense the Veritaserum is still in the testing phase. I wish I could remember what I read about the making of it. The only thing I can think of is a bezoar, but I have no idea where we are, and even if we got out, where would we be? Still in Englan-'

'Hermione, now's not the time. We'll get Harry out. Then decide on the rest.'

'What about them?' The blond guy, Draco asked, jerking his head towards the intently listening Marauders.

'Wait, you weren't sent to rescue us?' Sirius said incredulously and completely ignored.

'We leave them, if what we think is right,' he said glancing at Hermione, 'we can't change anything.'

'George! We can't do that!'

'You should know the rules better than anyone Hermione, now should we?'

'No. Harry would never do that.'

'Yeah and look at the shape he's in! He's not in charge right now, and if we continue talking, he will never be again.'

'Right, and you'll be there to tell him we left his fa-friends in Death Eater hands. I think not.'

'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Granger, he _will_ kill us if we leave them be. We should all move and then reassess the situation.'

The marauders had not moved during the conversation, trying to comprehend who exactly was on who's side. James wondered how these people knew Harry. He was about to ask when he heard it.

The footsteps.

Bellatrix was back.

They had seconds before she appeared, and James opened his mouth to warn them since they were too busy arguing, but abruptly closed his mouth as he realized all three of them had stilled, completely silent. Then as one they moved, Hermione left Harry and ran to the still unconscious Greyback, dragging him to the darkest corner of the cell. Meanwhile Draco and George had pressed themselves to each side of the wall next to the door. Waiting. Tension mounting, as James stood frozen, all the while wondering whether he should move or not.

Then suddenly there she was, at the threshold, wand and potion in her hands, as she paused taking in the altered scene.

'Greyback?' She managed to ask before Draco shouted:

'Expelliarmus!'

Bellatrix's wand flew out of her hands. She took a step back, but George stepped out of the shadows, his hood back on.

'Not a sound.' He warned.

James watched as Bellatrix passed through the initial shock of the new occupants, but she immediately rallied and smirked:

'Or what?' She said, taking another slow step back, more into the corridor's shadows.

'Incarcerous. Accio!'

Hermione said distinctly and ropes appeared out of nowhere binding Bellatrix's hands, feet and chest as she was flung across to the room to Hermione's feet. Even her two companions seemed surprised at her abrupt action as they all stared at her. Hermione was shaking as she took a step back with a look of disgust on her face. Then she saw the gazes, and shrugged.

'You didn't recognize her? Bellatrix doesn't play by the rules.'

'Bellatrix?! Hell, this is getting more complicated every second. What happened to the simple mission you outlined to us Hermione?'

But Hemione was not listening as she glared at Bellatrix and said:

'Give me one good reason not to end your miserable life right now.'

Even kneeling Bellatrix kept her composure, 'You foolish girl! You just managed to secure yourself hours of torture before death.'

'You're not making your case here pureblood. I was cheated of killing you myself last time, and with what you just did do Harry I wouldn't mind throwing Crucio in before killing you.'

'Hermione!' George growled, 'Believe me, if anyone gets to kill her it should be Harry, we owe it to Neville anyway, but we can't-'

'You think I don't know? What do you think we should do with her then?'

'Draco should decide.' He said giving his companion a level gaze.

The latter had not spoken, only turning paler under the candlelight. Now he examined Bellatrix with hooded eyes, after a second he replied, still staring at her:

'We stick to the plan. Let's wipe her and leave.'

'Right, Hermione you oblivate her, I'll take Harry.' George issued the order as he strode across the room and gently lifted the unconscious black haired boy from the ground. But when he turned around, Bellatrix was still staring at them calculatingly, while Hermione crouched a bit farther fingering the broken shards of the potion vial.

'I think that was Harry's antidote,' she said hollowly.

'We'll figure it out later, come on Hermione, don't lose me now.'

'It won't make any difference. If it's really Voldemort we're dealing with again he'll manage to see into her brain anyway.'

'Again?'

'Oblivate her anyway, it'll slow them on our tracks.'

George then turned to Bellatrix:'This seems to be some kind of dungeon. You wouldn't tell us where exactly we happen to be?'

In answer Bellatrix laughed a hint of the madness that would overtake her in years to come present,

'You really think you can escape here? I wonder what Harry's face will look like when I torture his new friends, or old friends. That is, if he survives much longer. He will be not last long with that potion in his sy-'

She got no further as she fell unconscious on the ground, Hermione stood in front of her, nursing the fist which she had just punched the Death Eater with,

'You do not know how long I've wanted to that for.'

'Hermione that was-'

'Unnecessary? I know. Still felt good. Now are we leaving or not?'

'Wow, she can punch as well.' Sirius said, shining admiration in his eyes.

'We should take Harry. If it comes to dueling you're in better shape.' James said, in the mature serious voice he rarely used.

George gave him a level glance before handing the unconscious boy towards him. Although Harry was slim and could not have weighed much, Sirius took one shoulder, James the other, with Harry's head lolling unconsciously on his shoulder.

'So which way do we do this? If Harry decided not to risk it, it must mean it's pretty heavily guarded.' Hermione said briskly, 'And if it's a Death Eater hide out they'll have anti-disparrating charms as well as traps all over the grounds.'

'I reckon we should go for low key escape.'

'That means the Polyjuice potion, we do have some?'

Hermione lifted from inside her robes a small beaded bag which she had circled around her neck. Making an inordinately amount of noise, in James opinion, she rummaged through it and brandished two small potion vials.

'Who's going for it?'

Draco sighed, 'Do I have choice?'

'Nope. I'll take Bellatrix, I have practice believe me.'

'What exactly are you-'

James stopped short as she grabbed a fistful of hair from Bellatrix, plunked them into the vial and gulped deeply. He watched in shock as she transformed before his eyes into an exact replica of Bellatrix. He had heard of the Polyjuice potion in books, but the ingredients were hideously expensive and he had never seen an actual transformation. Meanwhile Draco had done the same with Greyback and had, with difficulty changed his robes with the unconscious Death Eater.

'We should take their wands.'

'No, that would change-'

'Right, fine, let's get out of here,' George snapped James out of his thoughts as he paused at the doorway.

Nodding James stood up.

'Here.' The girl, Hermione brandished five wands to them, 'I found them on Bellatrix.'

'Thanks,' James said smiling gratefully, but stopped when a pained expression crossed her face.

The now seven teenagers did not waste any more time as they strode out of the room.

'Right, Hermione, you take the front, Draco you're at the back.'

Without a word the seeming Bellatrix and Greyback took their place. George stopped a minute in front of their cell door, no doubt producing some locking spells.

'Don't attack at first sight, remember minimum attention on ourselves, if we get separated we still continue, Harry's our top priority. If this is the same world, we should be able to meet at Godric's Hollow.'

'What do you mean separated?' Remus asked, out of his previous silence.

'We won't George, you sound like Mad-Eye,' Hermione said in a steely voice, 'this is not as hard as breaking out of Gringotts and we managed that.'

'What do you mean-' Sirius asked shocked.

'Hermione!'

'Right, forget I said anything.'

All the while, the group were half jogging through the seemingly endless maze of corridors, their footsteps echoing on the stone walls.

'You guys have no clue where we are right?' Lily asked in a prim voice.

'Of course we d-' Hermione said bracingly, panting slightly.

'Nope, no clue. Do you have a better idea?' George asked.

'No need, look, we're arriving towards the end, these are the stairs.' Draco pointed the rickety stairs in front.

'Right, remember-'

'This is not our first time George.'

James shifted Harry slightly as they moved up the stairs. He had no clue if they were going to get out, but Harry's pallor was getting more pronounced as the seconds went by, and they needed a solution. Staying in their cell wasn't one. They slowed down as they walked further though the empty corridors, only illuminated by the blazing torches on the walls. There wasn't a living thing in sight and George's disembodied voice under an invisibility cloak whispered:

'This is unreal, this place shouldn't be so lightly guarded.'

Draco's drawling voice answered: 'Think! They are not as heavily guarded as we know because they have had no need yet. And Death Eaters don't expect to be attacked from within, the Dark Lord's retribution would be too great.'

'Right, enough information-'

'This is eerie, this place, this place seems to be familiar, in a way I can't pinpoint.'

'It probably reminds you of home Draco, now's not the time for gut feelings, let's just get out of here inconspicuousl-'

'…I wonder what the Dark Lord has planned for them.' A voice reached them, from just the other end of the corridor.

'You won't have to wonder long, I just hope Black and Greyback will leave something of them…' Another voice answered.

The group froze. There was no time to do anything as the two Death Eaters turned around the corner and saw them.

There was one long second's pause, as both parties looked at each other in surprise.

Finally one of the two men robed in black spoke up uncertainly: 'Black? What are you doing with the Dark Lord's prisoners?'

They were dead. That was it. Impersonating a Death Eater…that could have been the worst possible idea, Sirius thought furiously and he sighed and automatically stepped in front of the girl impersonating Bellatrix. Once the hexes started flying, she would be safer at the back. But his chivalry were interrupted as he sprawled on the ground.

'You dare touch me vermin?'

Hermione said- no was it Bellatrix? Had they somehow got mixed up, for it was truly his cousin's disdainful stare he caught as he looked at her in shock. Then Bellatrix turned to the two Death Eaters, 'Goyle, Lestrange, have you not heard? The Dark Lord needs his prisoners taken to him. He has encountered aaah a hostage situation, and these mudbloods might be needed.'

The two Death Eaters still seemed unconvinced as they eyed her suspiciously, at this point Draco- no Greyback interfered: 'Except for the girl of course, such tender flesh, the Dark Lord has promised me her blood as recompense.' And he gave a lethal grin. Both Death Eaters shoulders relaxed as they saw what they considered classic Greyback behavior.

'Of course, how much escort do they need? Shall I call Crabbe?'

'Crabbe does not know which end of a wand to use. Do you not think I can handle a few sniveling teenagers?'

'But Infinitus- the Dark Lord said-'

'Oh Harry? He got exhausted with our little games, but I am sure he will be fine in a few hours.'

Lestrange nodded, and inside Sirius felt hopeful elation: they actually believed them! They would manage to get out! They would escape! They would- but he had thought victory too soon as he stood up, for a shouting figure emerged running from the end of the corridor with comically short robes.

'The prisoners, the prisoners! The prisoners have escaped!' A second and real Greyback stopped short as he saw his doppelganger blink at him. The faces Lestrange and Goyle made would have been funny had the situation not been so serious. The second frozen situation did not last long either, and George shouted: 'Duck!' as the spells started whizzing.

'Draco get them out of here!' The fake Bellatrix shouted as she waved her wand to absorb another spell aimed at Lily.

'We can fight them, its three to three, more than that actually.' As Sirius' curse hit Goyle who erupted into boils.'

'At what cost?' the disembodied voice of the invisible George replied furiously as another of the curses he sent Greyback got deflected despite the fact he was invisible. It was true, Draco could see the outcome of this three way duel was not clear cut. James and Sirius were good hexers, but this was no classroom environment, but a duel where dark magic would soon be used.

'Okay, retreat. I'll hold them back.' Hermione said.

'Do we have a vote?' James asked half seriously.

'James, I swear to god, this is not the time to make jokes.' Lily shouted as she checked the unconscious Harry's pulse from behind him.

'Bombarda!' Hermione shouted, wand pointed at the ceiling, but Draco pushed her against the wall missing the curse aimed at her by a hair's breadth, and shouted at her:

'Granger it's a pureblood's house, they have enchantments against all this.'

'Use the Peruvian darkness Hermione, I'll cover you.'

'Hermione seemed to understand the comment for she immediately lowered her wand and rummaged through her bag to brandish a small black vial.

'When?'

'Now!' George answered, Hermione smashed the bottle onto the floor and James gasped, nearly losing his hold on Harry as his vision was gone, changed into a swirling inky mass.

'Lily? Sirius?' he asked panicked.

'They're fine.' George's voice echoed right behind him, above the Death Eater's cries of confusion. 'Follow me!' he ordered and grasped his shoulder. James stopped trying to understand what was going on and let himself be dragged through the darkness, all the while hearing curses still being thrown around tentatively, but even Lumos couldn't penetrate the blackness.

'In here!' George whispered and pushed James in front of him. James blinked at the light in the room which had not been affected by the potion Hermione had thrown. He rubbed his eyes, and heard a cough behind him to see Sirius and Remus in the door way.

'Where's Lily?' He repeated.

'I'm here' her voice was heard before she came through the doorway, her body slowly appearing, separating from the darkness.

James felt a tight knot release itself at her sight and before he could process his own reactions he had walked forward and embraced her, pressing her tightly, trying to reassure himself she was safe and in one piece. His emotional moment was rudely interrupted as Hermione shoved hard as she emerged last from the doorway.

'Everyone here?' She whispered, sending a reproving glance at James.

'Yes, and before you ask, I have Harry.' Draco's voice came from behind her, and they all turned around to see Greyback holding a, if possible, paler Harry. Draco's or rather Greyback's face had a bemused expression, as if he couldn't believe who he was holding, but James didn't have time to examine the look closely as Hermione gave Draco a tug and went to stand in front of the door murmuring spells and waving her wand in complicated movements.

'How long do we have?' George asked Hermione all the while checking Harry's pulse.

'Ten minutes? Less? I don't know! The wards on the house are interfering and already wearing them down; we need to think of something, fast!'

'Great plan Granger. Anyone else wants to share the obvious?' Draco drawled.

'Do you even realize the situation we're in?' Hermione asked incredulously as Draco lowered Harry on the ground.

'Well yes. We cannot battle the horde of Death Eaters mounting behind these doors.' Draco drawled, looking faintly bored, 'And I have no intention of dying looking undignified, in a room with furnishings so unfashionable-' He stopped short, his hand still gesturing towards their surroundings as his eyes narrowed looking at James.

'What?' He asked nervously

But the blond youth didn't answer him as he marched forward, past James, to the tapestry behind him.

'What is it Draco?' Hermione asked

Draco didn't answer as he traced the lines, of, from what James could see was one of those pureblood family trees, even the Potters had one.

'Merlin's- look at this tapestry!' Draco breathed.

'Have you finally cracked? We don't have time for pureblood artwork.' George seethed.

'No, no this is my- this is the Lestrange's manor.'

'What?'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, I knew the house looked familiar! And now this tapestry, it's unfinished of course, but-'

'Right, so how does this help? Are there any secret passageways we can use? All pureblood houses have them.'

'How would he know-' James tried to asking, but of course he never managed to get his question finished or answered.

'Yes there are passageways we could use, if I could only pin point our location. The dungeons were on the right so this would be the east wing, one of the rooms…the kitchens are under us I think, that would be a way to get out, but how to get there…'

'Right, so this is of no use.' George said loudly over the increased banging at the door, 'Hermione, I don't know how much longer the door will hold.'

'What do we do then? Use _it_? That would leave them alone here,' Hermione jerked her head at James, Sirius, Remus and Lily, 'we're condemning them to death.'

'Harry is the priority! You know how important this mission is!' George snapped back.

'At what cost though? Harry would never do this!'

'Yes, you've already said that! And how many times do I have to tell you I'm not noble Harry? I get things done!' George was getting red in the face now.

'Don't you dare George, I have _it_, you can't take it off me, I'll duel you if that what it takes to see past your p-'

'Can I say something?' Sirius interjected, half raising his hand.

'NO!' They both shouted back.

'So what then? We all die? For people who are only a fraction of Harry's worth?' George continued.

'Now you're talking like the people you hunt down! You're not a Death Eater. Would Fred ever have agreed to this?'

The shouting match came to an abrupt halt, and the watching spectators all felt she had crossed a line, George had turned really white under his red freckles but James didn't get to hear his answer as Draco, who had ignored the whole argument murmuring to himself spoke up:

'Hang on; we're in this room... the room with the family tapestry. There is another way, the Dark Lord used it once, but we would need-'

'Where is it?' George barked, his eyes focusing back on the mission.

'Behind this.' Draco pointed at the tapestry behind him, 'But it won't work, we would have to have…'

George moved forward and tugged the tapestry aside to reveal a smooth grey wall.

'…a Parseltongue.' Draco gestured at the carving of a small snake high on the wall.

They three arrivals turned silent.

'Harry's a Parseltongue.' Lily spoke up hesitantly.

Hermione's eyebrows shot up: 'He told you?'

'Well, more like showed us, not like he had-'

'Granger, you're supposed to come up with the great ideas,' Draco interrupted as cracks appeared on the door behind them, the banging incessant.

'Well we can't wake Harry.'

'Really?' Draco said.

'Can you stop with the sarcasm, I rather liked it when you were mute. I'm trying to think.'

'Well think fast.'

In answer, Hermione let out a garbled hissing sound, they all looked at her in surprise but she was not replying Draco but staring at the door with great concentration.

'Hermione-'

But said Hermione shook her head, giving another gargled spitting sound.

'Hermione, as much as you wish you spoke-'

But George's voice warbled to silence as with another hiss, the wall began to tremble, small stones rolling over the floor as before their eyes, a whole portion of the wall rumbled over to reveal a dark passageway.

'Don't tell me she's another Parseltongue.' Sirius said dramatically.

'Hermione what the-'

'I'll explain later, we need to get out of here! Lumos!' Hermione moved forward, the rest of the group quickly following her, wands out, with Draco still holding Harry and George bringing up the rear.

'Hermione, how do you close the thing?' George hissed.

'I don't know, I only learnt the opening part, we need to hurry!' She replied frantically, waving her wand, as the entrance of the passageway closed in a shimmering wave.

'What did you do?'

'It's only an illusion, they'll soon figure it out. Come on, we don't have time.'

The passageway was much like the ones found in Hogwarts James thought, his heart beating erratically as they jogged single file deep into the recesses of the ground.

* * *

Okay so first: What do you think?

Second: George. I didn't put Sirius, because although he is one of my favorite characters, he is dead. I didn't want to stretch this story too far since my initial reason for writing it was to make the unexplainable explainable. And Ginny, although a lot of people wanted Ginny, she just fit this fanfic. And I really do think she would take too much from Harry and his parents relationship, since harry/ ginny is a whole other story by itself, I wouldn't do it justice. So George was left....And you will see how he fits in later.

Third: For those naturally critical readers, I know George and Draco especially seem completely out of character, but remember more than a month has passed since the end of the war, and alot of things have changed. I have and will try to keep the essence of the character the same though.

Fourth: Review please. Hints: Was the escape too easy? Although its not finished? What do you think should happen next? Oh and I didn't like this tittle, anyone can think of a better one? Reviews make me write fast...most of the time.

pea blue: That veritaserum thing was a dreadful mistake, I'm changing it ASAP! Thanx alot, you were the only one to notice!


	15. Chapter 15: Dead Broken

I'm ALIVE! Nice to know, right? I know, I know, I could write a full chapter on the excuses I have for being 5 months late give or take a few days. By the time I realized I was having a major writer's block and that I should tell my beloved readers this would be on hiatus until the Summer, well a few months had passed and I know how I hate it when I see a new chapter and I get all excited and then I see it's an Author's Note, so I decided not to say anything. Apart from this being the worst chapter ever to write, (I had half a mind just to kill them off in the dungeon with the trouble they gave me), I was preparing for my A- Level exams, which are thank god, finally over, with results out and university applications finished and accepted (Anyone at kings?). So yeah, I'm back. Hopefully, a regular twice a month to once a week update, I haven't started uni yet, so I don't know what the work load will be like, and that will affect my updating speed. Oh and I have to admit I have been busy reading amazing fanfics on this site :)

Anyways, thanks goes to my lovely reviewers, they helped me finally finish this chapter, which had dragged on my laptop for a few months, yesterday night at 2 AM:

Ashi-Grey, Yami-no-Tamashii, akaren, Confused, Ilovenuttella, starvae, keekers15, Tango Dancer, missingmara, RoxyBabyX, Loolala, Goddess of Books-11, bananacupcakes, Xiahou Ayumi, hypercell, Lost In The Lies, z, Katara97, LaurenBlack, they call me Snow White, ElementUchihaMaster, Jondy garwin, BlackGryphon101, ShinSheeka, lillyflower08, Allyieh, Bware0313, alicat259, Laurenmk18, yourdorkisabel, bob, FeyyCullen, Somizura, lala, SilverIceBlueEyes, stina, DanniGirrl0001, S., Naila93, dalistar123, meNyou.2,TMI-HP-HON-Tlvr, ceren, hypercell, koki.

Again remember I don't have a beta so I decided to post my chapter up faster instead of correcting it...Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15: Dead Broken**

_The passageway was much like the ones found in Hogwarts James thought, his heart beating erratically as they jogged single file deep into the recesses of the ground._

James considered himself a good athlete. He was a star Quidditch player; he spent his nights prowling around the school and roamed across the forbidden forest once a month. But this frantic pace in the crouched subterranean passageway that led him to bang his extremities along the jagged rocks would soon be beyond his endurance. It didn't help to think of the gravity of the situation; which at the moment, were Death Eaters at their pursuit, Harry on the brink of death, his freaky companions on the edge of deserting them, Lily being in danger and only a slight chance of escaping this nightmarish situation.

He cursed as he hit his head once more, the tunnel seemed to be getting even more confining as they advanced and he saw the girl, Hermione, getting on her knees, pressing forward, as she finally broke the silence of harsh breathing:

'I think there's an opening up here,'

'It's about damn time,' Sirius muttered from somewhere behind.

'It seems it's been blocked naturally, hang on… I think I can…get back, quickly!'

Her order was obeyed with difficulty, the shuffling happening just before she pointed her wand slightly forward and up,

'Bombarda!'

The whole tunnel trembled with the power of the destructive spell.

'Yesss! I can see daylight, crap its really high, James I'm going to levitate you up, and then we'll pass Harry.'

' 'Mione hurry! They're getting closer,' George growled form the rear.

'Add to the pressure why don't you, weasel.' James heard Draco snarl before his stomach jolted at the sensation of jerkily moving up into the air without the sturdy support of his broomstick. Then he hissed in pain as she jerked him against the rising wall.

'Sorry,' she murmured apologetically, 'hang on, you're nearly there.'

And true enough, when James craned his neck around, he was blinded by the bright light upsetting his pupils after the many hours in the dark. He grabbed the edge of the earthy rock face with scrabbling hands as Hermione's spell weakened with the distance. Gasping he forced his way through the scraggly bushes that masked the exit.

'Okay, I'm through!' He shouted, blinking rapidly as he looked around to the rugged landscape that surrounded the manor.

'I'm sending Harry.'

Hermione's faint voice came from the black hole. James nodded unconsciously, as he continued darting his eyes around the bleak moor, expecting a mob of Death Eater to emerge any second, but all stayed completely tranquil. He looked down the hole with a lumos and saw Harry's vulnerable, inert body rising through the air to him, leaning forward he grasped his shoulders firmly as Hermione's spell started to weaken with the distance. James felt fear course through him as he heaved Harry through to the solid ground. His dorm mate's hands were icy cold. Frantically he held his ear to his chest;

ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…

The heartbeats were still there, yet they were way too slow to be normal; the poison was taking its effect. James gave a choked sob at the hopelessness of the situation. Even if they did manage to escape, get away from the Death Eaters, none of them knew how to Apparate, Harry would die. No more of his half shy smiles, no more shows of dueling skills, no more secrets just waiting to be found out, none of his pacifying skills, no haunting green eyes, no… Harry. His worry for the dying boy took him by surprise, he had never felt close attachments to people his own age apart from Lily and the Marauders. But it seemed, that through their arguments and pranks, Harry had managed to worm his way into his heart. And now, as he rocked forward and backward with the slight body tightly held to him, he wondered at the point of struggling anymore.

He started as a warm hand caressed his cheek, and he found himself lost into the same vibrant green eyes he had been thinking about.

'He'll be alright James, we'll be alright, we're going to get out of this, we're going to laugh at our stupidity one day, and you'll ask me out again, and then Ill hex you, and Harry will come calm everyone down while Sirius gives unnecessary comments and Remus tries to shut him up.'

And as James gazed at Lily, he could not but believe her, and smiled with renewed strength.

'Mate, you're not going to cry on me are you?' Sirius' glib remark from behind seemed to ruin the moment and they both flinched, James about to chew his best friend's head, before he remembered the situation they were in and realized they'd probably need Sirius conscious.

Meanwhile, the rest of their companions were quickly clambering through the hole. Finally George levitated Hermione from outside the hole just as a spell whizzed though skimming past her leg. She rolled onto the miserable looking grass before she looked at them,

'Well what are you waiting for? Run!'

George meanwhile held his hand to her and she seemed to understand as she rummaged inside the small pouch at her neck, throwing the same small black looking dung bombs and a red little sphere. George tapped them with his wand and threw them down the hole with a smirk, beside him, Hermione waved her wand at a frightening speed, and a visible white net formed over the entrance.

Finally they both looked at each other and shouted: 'Muffliato'

'Right, they'll be stuck in there for at least half an hour. We should still get-Shit!' George cried out as he ducked to avoid the lethal green spell from Death Eaters tumbling out of the manor.

'Go, I'll buy us some time!' He shouted, glaring at James and Sirius who had readied themselves into fighting position, Harry hanging between them, 'This is not the time for heroics.' He shouted as they all continued edging backwards, dodging the curses getting closer.

'You really think we're going to let you steal the entire credit weasel?' Draco drawled, 'Besides, despite your Gryffindorish attitude, you wouldn't be of much use alone.'

'We need to get through the anti-apparition ward,' Hermione cried, waving her wand in an erratic movement, which resulted in the translucent-crimson ward to appear; it covered the manor and surrounding land under its semi-globe. James calculated less than a hundred metres to the nearest glove wall, but with the Death Eaters gaining, he didn't know if they would ever make it.

'Come on!' Lily screamed at them, jolting them out of their frozen state, 'We need to get Harry out of here!' She continued, obviously under the misapprehension that he might have forgotten.

James did his best to run, trying to coordinate his movement with Sirius, so as to move Harry smoothly as possible. He wished he could levitate him but then they would be defenseless against the hexes coming closer and closer to their marks. Beside Remus and Lily, the blond, Draco, was running backwards, all the while protecting himself, the were-wolf, and the girl from hexes, his face frowning in concentration. Farther behind, George and Hermione were battling their hardest, trying to absorb most of the curses aimed at the Potter Duo and Black, unwilling to dodge, while throwing mass destruction curses back, most of which, James' craning head had never seen before. But he was pretty sure the curse George had just thrown, causing one of the Death Eaters to start screaming hysterically could not be anything but Dark. Their pace grew more frenzied as the four Death Eaters who had emerged were now joined by three others from the manor. But more than the numbers, the confident smiles on the ones not wearing their masks worried James, they seemed to have no doubt they would be caught, they almost seemed to be…toying with them, indulging a child, knowing the outcome was already decided.

James gulped and threw a hasty shield charm at one of the curses Hermione had missed. But, despite himself, hope burgeoned inside him as they got closer to the shimmering crimson wall that seemed to beckon enticingly.

10 metres….5 metres…1 metre…Bang!

James found himself thrown backwards and onto the ground as the wall seemed to physically repel him.

'Well damn.' Sirius summed it up as Lily approached more curiously and laid her hand on the ward.

'It's blocked somehow,' her voice full of anguish and James knew she felt like he did at that moment, all hope dashed, worse than not having had hopes at all.

He wondered whether they would get a quick death or if it would drag about a few days, if torture would leave him alive but a veg-

'Draco!' Hermione shouted, her eyes glancing backwards at the problem they were encountering, 'I think it's a regular DE gate!'

'It's worth a try,' Draco had caught up to Lily and Remus, and frowning in concentration, he raised his left arm to the crimson barrier. Gob smacked the Hogwarts students watched as his arm attached to his body went through.

Noticing their gaze, Draco snapped: 'Hurry up; I don't know how long I can trick the gate.'

James didn't wait for another invitation as he crossed, the barrier buckling at his passage but letting him through. As soon as James was on the other side, the noise of the fight drastically dimmed, whirling around he saw the hexes could not pass through and he guessed it worked both ways. At his right, Remus had also crossed the barrier, Lily just after him, only the bushy haired witch and her red-haired companion remained now, as they frantically tried to keep the Death Eaters at bay. From the other side of the barrier James could appreciate just how natural they were, not as good as Harry though, and they were outnumbered by too many; and the inevitable happened. James watched in slow motion as a violet curse got under Hermione's guard and hit her straight in the chest. Like a broken doll, the slight girl was thrown back the last few metres through the barrier. Unmoving. Immediately, George gave the cry of a wounded animal and shouted out a curse, a wall of fire erupted from his wand. James gasped as he recognized Fiendfyre, a highly illegal curse, only taught in the darkest of books. George did not wait to see the effects of his work as he flung himself through the barrier and ran to Hermione's side.

'We're meeting at Godric's Hollow, Draco, you take Harry, I'll take Hermione, do the rest of you know how to Apparate?'

To James surprise, Lily and Remus nodded, albeit hesitantly.

'Then Godric's Hollow, the graveyard, now!' He curtly said as he looked behind his shoulders, all the while checking Hermione's pulse. The Death Eaters had managed to dispel the Fiendfyre and were now running full pelt towards them. James barely registered Lily's warm hand as she grasped his arm firmly and whispered, 'Godric's Hollow', spinning them around at the same time. He suddenly found himself being squeezed into a tiny tube by invisible foes. As soon as it started, it was finished, but the damage was done as James threw up all over Lily's shoes. Sirius who had Apparated with Remus a fraction of a second before them glanced at him with eyes that said there would be a lot of teasing later. He glanced up at Lily, wondering the what the chances of her giving him a painless death were, but Lily was occupied with scanning the area.

'Where are they?'

James looked around wildly; they had arrived right in front of the graveyard, the pinkish rays of dawn only just breaking through, and their presence disturbing the otherwise deathly silent of the somnolent village. The cold feeling which had dissolved as soon as they had Apparated returned, _had they left them, taken Harry? _

He gazed wildly around him, but the cold silence of dawn was the only thing he could perceive. Suddenly two large cracks resounded as their rescuers appeared.

George grunted, oblivious to their relieved gaze, as he deposited the girl gently to the ground, 'forgot how hard it was to Apparate with an unconscious body.'

Draco deposited Harry next to her.

'Drake, should we enervate her? I didn't see what hit her, but her pulse is stead-'

At that moment Hermione gave a gasp and sat up with a jump. Everybody's eyes strayed to her chest in shock as her sudden movement caused a multitude of items to stray out of the tiny pouch she had around her neck; first a few books, then some delicate looking silver instrument, more books, a blue vial and a pair of jeans.

Hermione gave another gasp, of dismay this time, as she tried to hurry her things around.

'Bloody hell Hermione, did you bring the whole library with you?' George asked, relief evident in his voice.

'No, no, no, no,' she whimpered as her moving around to collect her items caused a multitude of other strange objects to fall out.

Seeing her well back on her feet, the others naturally turned to Draco who was checking Harry's pulse.

'The poison has entered the blood stream; we need to get back now if we want the healers to have a chance with him.'

'What! You can't take Harry! He belongs with us!' Lily shouted indignantly as she crouched next to the pale unconscious boy.

Hermione lifted her head with a mulish expression, a torn look on her face.

George seemed to read that look well as he immediately riposted: 'No Hermione. They're safe now, they can run along to Hogwarts, we leave, end of mission.'

James rolled his eyes, there they were, back to ignoring their existence.

Hermione lifted her hands in exasperation, 'is that all it was for you? A mission? I know we have to le-' her words trailed off as she turned a deathly shade of white.

'Hermione? Hermione! What's wrong?' George growled as he crouched besides her, tatting her forehead.

Hermione lifter glassy eyes at him as she pointed at something which had fallen out of that weird bag and everybody's eyes strayed to the silver instrument she was indicating. A delicate looking thing, small glass compartments filled with coloured bubbly liquids, now broken as a gust of wind blew silvery sand off. Hermione's broken voice filled the ominous silent that had fallen on the newcomers as her hands cradled the instrument lightly.

'It must have been the curse…I heard something shatter…I had put an unbreakable charm on it, but that was dark magic…I think…I think..we're stuck here.'

Draco snarled: 'Perfect, the trial is just going to wait for me to gallivant around here for years. And that's useless because Potter will be dead.'

'Huh, you're going to kill me?' James asked,

The newcomers looked startled, as if they had completely forgotten their presence, _which they probably did,_ James thought grumpily. Hermione seemed to be rallying herself, as she stood up, holding the pouch she had just cast spells on gingerly in her hand.

'The priority is Harry. We need to get him to Hogwarts, at least temporarily, Dumbledore will know what to do.'

'No, absolutely not. How do we explain ourselves? And I know the old coot, he'll be too nosy.' Draco retorted. 'Besides, the time we Apparate to Hogsmeade, then go to Hogwarts, bypass everyone who will want answers, those kids did kept kidnapped by Death Eaters, Harry will be dead.' They both looked to George for his decision, and Sirius wisely kept silent.

George groaned: 'Aberforth was right; nothing is simple when it comes to Harry. Let's set camp, we'll decide what to do once we're covered; the villagers will wake up soon.'

Hermione nodded absentmindedly, before looking at him with a strange light in her eyes.

'What did you just say?'

'Uh, let's set camp'

'Before that!'

'…Harry's trouble?'

'No! Aberforth!'

'I'm not following you.'

'Aberforth's patronus was a goat! He used to keep goats!'

'Aaand?'

Hermione started pacing: 'Think! We need to find a goat!'

Now everyone was looking at her worriedly, _maybe she had hurt her head_, James thought, but suddenly Draco's frowned cleared:

'Granger you're a genius! Of course! Instead of the complicated poison dilution which I cannot perform here, this has a chance of succeeding.' They both stared at George with determination, who still looked bemused.

Hermione took pity as she explained gently, 'George, remember when Ron got poisoned by…well Draco, Harry saved him using a Bezoar.'

'And as Harry could probably tell you due to his first lesson with Snape, Bezoars can be found in the stomach of a goat!'

James listened to the explanation shaking his head in disbelief, _who thought that way?_ And then, _what did they say about Snivellus?_

'And where would we find that?' Sirius drawled, taking the suggestion in his stride.

'This is a village, they must have something! Now hurry, I'll set the usual wards and tent!'

'So you want us to steal a goat, kill it, and then search its insides for a Bezoar?'

'No of course not! I want you to pay for it first!' Hermione replied crossly as she raised her wand into complicated movements.

Seeing she was being serious Draco and George set off at a brisk pace. Meanwhile the quartet stood dumbly, wondering if this could all be a hallucination, and they were actually still in the dungeon.

Well?' The brunette turned around, eyes flashing, 'What are you waiting for? Come help me!

* * *

James considered himself to be relatively quick thinking and smart. He had not lost his head when Hogsmeade was attacked. He has not gone into hysterics when they had met Voldemort. He hadn't even lost all hope in the dungeon while Harry was being tortured. Yet now, now that they were relatively safe, he found his neural brain pathways to be sluggish, observing the bustle around him through a sheet of glass, with a merely detached interest surfacing through and unconnected thoughts bubbling. His mother would have said he was going into shock, James would have replied he just had had too much excitement and his brain could just not generate any more stress.

While James was analyzing his post-traumatic disorder the others had managed to set up the tent found in Hermione's torn pouch, Lily didn't even try and understand how it had fit there besides the obvious reason; magic. Hermione did not waste time in taking charge of the group as she bossed them around, face set in a worried frown and waving her wand around, no doubt erecting multiple wards around the small area. For the next ten minutes they all worked silently, Lily fussing over Harry while Remus tried to heal as best as he could the various cuts and gashes they had acquired over the last few hours. Lily's sudden cry however froze them all as she turned desperate eyes to Hermione,

'He's stopped breathing!'

The bushy haired girl turned pale as she rushed towards the lying boy, verifying Lily's claim. They all crowded silently as Hermione's trembling hands shook the deathly white boy.

'No! No! It cannot end like this! Harry, Harry, you cannot die here, not here, not no-'

'Hermione!'

George's voice rang from outside, not seeing anything due to the masking spells. Sirius vaulted up, and a few seconds elapsed before he shoved a bloody stone into Hermione's trembling hands. Wasting no time, she tilted Harry's head easing the small glistening stone down Harry's throat, blood smearing on his lips.

'Come on Harry, come on, you did this before, wake up, give us all time to kill you for scaring us, wake up!'

But Hermione's whimpers seemed to resonate emptily as the deathly silence grew. Seconds ticked away, yet the pale boy they were all centered on did not move, all eyes could see but a corpse. After a minute of tension that felt like hours, James laid a hand on her shoulder,

'Hermione, I don't think..' his voice broke off, unable to accept the horrifying reality but she roughly shrugged him off,

'No! Harry doesn't die! He doesn't! Not like this! He wakes up! He wakes up every damn time with that stupid smile on his face. He can't die! He just can't. Statim pectore! Statim Pectore!'

She cried out as she tried to magically restart his heart. Beside her James hugged Lily, who was sobbing silently in his chest, the rest of the boys immobile.

Hermione suddenly brought her mouth to Harry's, and then with both hands she rhythmically pressed her hands on his chest, pumping. James watched with fascination as she tried to resuscitate the dead boy by the muggle method. It could not have been more than another minute but it seemed like every second dragged into eternity before George tried to stop her.

'Hermione, stop, he's dead, you cannot save-'

'HE IS NOT DEAD!' She screamed back viciously, tears blinding her own eyes as she desperately continued to press his still heart before collapsing on the very chest, desperate weeping wracking her body.

'He just can't be dead! I can't lose him too.' She moaned.

Another moan responded hers and Hermione stopped mid sob, breath hitching as she slowly lifted herself from Harry.

Another whimper of pain, and everyone forgot to breathe as bleary emerald eyes blinked open.

'Harry!' Hermione breathed as the eyes focused on her.

'Hermione?' he croaked, 'oh crap, I did die!' and with that Harry fainted dead away.

* * *

It took a few minutes for them to get over the last few intense moments. George was the first one to get up from his uncomfortable crouch.

'Well, he's stabilized, but he'll need medical intention immediately, we shouldn't linger. Hermione can you work out the logistics, the instrument still gives me the creeps.'

Sirius stood up in turn, 'What? Are you still ragging on about that? Harry belongs with us; he needs to go back to Hogwarts, Pomfrey can look at him. Besides where would you take him in this condition?'

George gave the other man a measuring look and said carefully: 'What has he told you about himself exactly?'

'Infinitus? He's told us everything, we're practically family.' James replied nonchalantly, rising to protect what he now considered one of his.

The red haired man gave a bitter smile at that while Draco gave a snort, 'Infinitus? God that prat has no imagination. But Weasel, they'll be questions if we just leave now, Harry might have confided in Dum-'

'That is irrelevant, they won't discover anything for years, and we cannot afford to change anything else. Already I am wary of the repercussions this little jaunt will cost us.'

Lil seemed to have been trying to restrain herself until then, distractedly stroking Harry's forehead she spoke out, 'Will you stop it with the riddles, I don't care if you regret saving us already but I will not allow you to take Harry right now, like this and with no explanations.'

Draco smirked, twirling his wand with his fingers, 'With all due respect Mrs-Miss Evans, we're not asking for your permission.'

Sirius took that as enough provocation to point his wand at the snarky smirking git, which led George to brandish his wand and so ensued the melodrama as Lily and James got theirs out in turn.

No one seemed to know what to do next, Lily was arched in front of the sleeping Harry and George sighed; 'Hermione? We need your diplomacy here, care to extricate us from the result of your compassion? Hermione?' He repeated, looking around worriedly.

'I-I think we might have no choice.' Hermione's small voice replied form behind all of them.

She was slightly outside the tent and was fingering the small delicate instrument again. 'Or have you forgotten our Key is broken?'

'Why don't you just Reparo it?' George asked.

'I have. It's not working, I don't even know what dark curse he used on me, a combination of a slashing and demolishing spell I thin-'

'How can you not make it work? You worked with the Unspeakables in making it!' Draco exclaimed.

'What!' Sirius interjected, but he was, of course, ignored.

'I know, I know, but that was the theory, and the basic usage, I cannot repair it, especially here, with no resources, and the books are not all with me, this wasn't supposed to even happen this way, a quick eas-

'Quick easy and silent, we know, but now what?'

Deafening cracks answered him and the small group raised their wands, visions of Death Eaters and Voldemort in the fore mind of their heads. To James delight, it was not so. A majestic figure in a deep blue robe adorned with what looked from afar to be little golden stars was at the forefront, while behind him a battalion of Aurors in their regal red robes, all of them with their wands at the ready, formed a semi circle and were obviously trying to locate the danger.

'Professor Dumbledore!' Lily sighed in relief while at the same time Draco whispered:

'Damn it, that was all we needed, holy freaking Dumbledore and the ministry. I swear I don't know how you survived the adventures we now read in the Daily Prophet Granger, if you were the one planning them.'

'Merlin! Now how do we get out of this?' Hermione cried, hands wringing themselves as they watched the posse outside starting to attack the magical barriers they could sense around their spot which was supposed to stay invisible to the naked eye but apparently not to wizards like Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.

'We could still make a run for it. They'll be busy rescuing the students, and we're not an actual enemy!'

'Or we take this lot as hostages and exchange them for a peaceful escape with Harry.' Draco suggested with a straight face.

'How many times will I have to tell you we're not going to let you take him!'

'Will you stop acting like a mother hen for five minutes and see logi-'

'George, stop, I think she's right, maybe-'

'Oh yeah that's a great idea, let's leave the savior here and return without him, we'll make another trip in a few month-'

'Yes that's exactly what you should-' James tried to interject.

'Potter, Shut up. Weasel, listen to Granger.'

His two companions both gaped at him in surprise before Hermione tried to regain the train of her thoughts,

'Well, yes, well, look at the facts, the Key will not bring us home right now, even if there's a chance I fix it, it will take weeks if not months, we need a place to stay, why not Hogwarts? It's safe, and it's not like we have safe houses around Britain.'

'Herm, how can you not see the flaws? Imagine the things that will change-'

'_Infinitus _seems to have managed fine until now. Besides,' she said pointing to Dumbledore, 'we don't have a choice anymore. '

They all faced the new arrivals as Dumbledore lowered his wand at the last barrier, and James smiled grimly at the image they were giving.

Eight young people, four of them littered with grime, cuts and grazes, torn robes and a worried frown. One, unconscious, and three with smooth expressions but wands out, gripped tightly.

They knew exactly when they became visible; the loud barrage of exclamations as well as raised wands was a good indicator.

'We come in peace?' Hermione said weakly.

* * *

Well there you have it folks, chapter fifteen, and they're finally rescued, I hadn't intended the Hogsmeade attack to be so long. I hope you guys will review and tell me if my work is still adequate, or if the few months spent studying my brains out have rid me of any creativity. I also hope the Harry dying was appropriately sad and did not send you into a burst of laughter at the badly written sob scene, it was my first. Remember, I have no clue what's going to happen in the next chapter, I mean I have an overall plan for the fanfiction but not the actual chapter-by-chapter plot, so reviewing ideas will increase the update speed exponentially...

On a side note, do any of you not want me to kill off Hermione's parents? I know I said I would try to make it as realistic as possible but I really feel like killing them off for some reason.

Oh and as you probably have guessed, the silvery instrument is supposed to send them back through time, I haven't found a dramatic name for it, hence the reason for its current name: the Key, anyone has a better idea?

Confused: The answer to the 'will you join us harry' question wasn't that obvious, a lot of people change their mind after being tortured!

Loolala: Different people react differently to tragedy. I wanted a radical change for George, he lost his other half and I want readers to see he feels incomplete and is not completely stable.

Xiahou Ayumi: Yeah, lol, I'm not a Ginny/Harry fan either, especially the movie version. But I especially didn't bring Gin, cause that is so not the focus of my story, I want his relationship with the past while Ginny would only hinder that.

Hypercell: Yeah, I know Draco seems weird, everything will be explained, don't worry!

BlackGryphon101 : Oh crap, I didn't know that. But Greyback is not half-giant, he's a werewolf, surely polyjuice works on him? Otherwise I'd have to change the whole character with another DE, I did say I was going to keep it realistic...

ShinSheeka : Well I didn't feel Ron would contribute to the story a lot. And I didn't want a cliched plot, I don't thing anyone's done the Herm/George/Draco combo before...

Laurenmk18 : Don't worry, they will confront the arrivals on a lot, come to think of it, I should start making a list of all the weird things they should ask about :)

Bob: I'll try not to turn cliche, but sacrificing his existence would make it so. Don't worry, I have a great idea planned for that part of the story, I don't think anyone's done it before...


	16. Chapter 16:Can you tell me how to board?

My dear readers, in all honesty this was finished a week after the last update, but it was completely riddled with typos and I was too lazy to 'clean' it up and too ashamed to email it to my beta. Of course, I also had my first week of uni, and let me tell you biomed is no joke...Anyways, this is here now, I hope you'll : this is not going to be the most exciting chapter, it's nearly a filler, afte this, we're going back to normal Hogwarts days for a while, as normal as it can get around Harry...

As usual my thanks goes to my wonderful reviewers who finally gave me the courage to face the spellign mistakes in this instead of reviewing Physiology...

christafin garwin, NighttimeLover, Hitokiri Shinzui, meNyou.2, MiniJillyHinny, karen, EriKaBalDeL, laklak, LaurenBlack, Stina Whatever, Marauders - Weasley Twins, The Phan Ghost, T.M Oliver, James018, WeatherWatch, Nosi, Raissa, BlackGryphon101, xSilversun, lillyflower08, SilverIceBlueEyes and anderson.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Can you tell me how to board the train?  
**

_Eight young people, four of them littered with grime, cuts and grazes, torn robes and a worried frown. One, unconscious, and three with smooth expressions but wands out, gripped tightly._

_They knew exactly when they became visible; the loud barrage of exclamations as well as raised wands was a good indicator._

_'We come in peace?' Hermione said weakly._

Hogwarts, Infirmary, A week to Halloween

He felt them on the edge of consciousness, shadows, moving, talking and jostling him around. But the fire burning in his veins made him incapable of focusing, only the pain was constant, halting all thoughts but one; making it stop. Black, swirling inky black was all he could see, downing him inside himself.

Then the pain did stop, abruptly, sudden in its unexpectedness, and Harry was brought back to reality with brutal clarity, only to see illusions of dreams. Then he did die. Into welcome oblivion.

White…that was what assaulted Harry when he sluggishly opened his eyes, feeling unnaturally calm. Blinding sterile white. It looked like an infirmary, the Hogwarts infirmary to be exact. That was odd. He had expected King's Cross, why would his second encounter with death be different form the first? Come to think of it, why wasn't he naked? He sat up as he examined with slightly interested detachment the white cloth he was swathed in. Most curious indeed. But Harry hoped Dumbledore would hurry up and appear, he wasn't sure how to move on now, there were no trains to board here. Perhaps it was through the door at the end of the ward. The thought had just come to him when said door opened to reveal a harried young woman; it looked like a younger relative of Madam Pomfrey. He stared at her curiously, as she glanced at him before freezing, mouth open. Five seconds of silence later and the nurse had not imparted any words of wisdom, so Harry decided to help her on a bit.

'You must be a relative of Madam Pomfrey, it is very nice to meet you, I_ had_ expected Dumbledore but no matter. Perhaps you can tell me how to board, I'm afraid I haven't been here before, and I can see no trains.'

Harry frowned as her eyes widened even more if that was possible. Maybe he shouldn't have died twice; it seemed death was a bit confused with what to do with him.

'Mr-Mr-Infinitus….how…' Her rambling was cut by a bright croak above her shoulder, and Harry turned to see a phoenix that could only be Fawkes swoop closer to him.

'Fawkes! Wow, you're here too. I don't suppose you could call Dumbledore here, this lady seems to be in a bit of a shock, I don't know how this works exactly, but I wish I had a bit more information, I can't quite figure what I'm supposed to do right now.'

Fawkes gave a high trilling sound in answer, and Harry didn't have time to wonder how he was supposed to answer that when Madam Pomfrey was nearly shoved on the floor at what appeared to be a hoard of people all stuck at the doorway, having all tried to enter at the same time. After a few seconds of desperate scrambling, they managed to squeeze through, Harry beamed as he spotted Dumbledore right behind them, followed by a smirking blond who looked remarkably like-

His musings were interrupted when he was hit by a warm mass topped with a mop of bushy brown hair.

'Oof' was all he managed as he looked down to see warm wet brown eyes staring into his emerald ones.

'Hermione? Are you here for the train too?'

She didn't release him and he felt her smaller body trembling against his, crying.

'Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay, I kind of expected it to be honest. Hermione...don't cry…please…'

He got a light punch in the head at those words and looked up frowning to see Sirius; 'It's not her fault you idiot, you gave all of us a shock.'

'Sirius...Lily, James, Remus! Didn't you make it out alive?' He didn't wait for an answer as he saw the two boys slightly behind them. 'Fred? What are you- M-merlin!' He stuttered as he saw the blonde next to the Weasley.

'Er..Harry…' Fred said but he cut him off,

'No, stop. Just stop, this is getting ridiculous! I know I don't have to have the same experience every single time, but _come on_. I should get to decide some things! Why is the weasel git here? It's my death; I should get to decide who shows up in my head.'

Hermione made a small shocked noise, but Harry was nowhere near finished.

'This whole thing is messed up. I'm supposed to be at King's Cross station, how can I board the train otherwise? And I don't even want to talk about the fact that I'm supposed to _not_ feel the pain. Oh shouldn't there be a crying baby?'

'Mr. Infinitus, Maybe you should calm-' Dumbledore interjected.

In response Harry lifted his arms, 'Oh right, that too! I'm Infinitus, the Marauder's year, So that means Hermione can't be dead, why would I have an alive person with the dead one? Does that even work? And Dumbledore you shouldn't be dead yet, unless you're the old one! That might make sense. But I really can't accept the ferret, I'm afraid he'll just have to get out, I'm sorry he died but frankly I'm surprised he lasted as long as he did. Oh and why aren't my robes appearing?' Harry breathed in sharply, 'now will someone tell the higher power they need to fix thi-'

He was interrupted by a ringing slap.

'Harry! Will you just stop! You're not dead! You're alive! We all are! You stupid moronic arse! Do you know what I went through since you pulled your little disappearing act? What we all went through? The work we had to do to get here? How hard it was to keep myself together, not to breakdown when we got the Death Eaters' memories about the Forbidden Forest…' Hermione seemed to choke on that thought but Harry had lost her after the first few words.

'I'm…not…dead?'

'Do you _really_ think I'd show up in your afterlife scar-head?' Draco drawled. As a gibe, James thought, that was pretty weak, but it seemed to snap Harry out of the daze he was falling in.

'I'm not dead. Then…this is the Hogwarts infirmary, we got back, somehow, but…' He trailed off as he stared at George and Draco.

'WHAT THE HELL ARE _YOU_ DOING HERE?'

'Well, we- we followed you Harry… Did you really think there would be no inquest after you disappeared like that?'

'Yeah, Hermione's been working with the Unspeakables for months now.'

'So, you just invented some kind of Portkey and…moved here?'

'Well, not exactly a Portkey, but close enough, we had to change the coordinate anchors to something more ethereal so we used the sand of–' she stopped abruptly when she noticed the Marauders' confused gazes.

But Harry was already moving on to his next problem, 'But, if- if this is some kind of rescue team that was sent to fetch me, why the hell is it Draco and Fre-George?' There was an awkward pause after the name, and both Harry's and George's faces darkened. But Harry determinedly continued, 'Why is Ron not here? Or, I don't know, a responsible adult? And how in Morganna's name did you find us?'

~Flashback~

_They all faced the new arrivals as Dumbledore lowered his wand at the last barrier, and James smiled grimly at the image they were giving._

_Eight young people, four of them littered with grime, cuts and grazes, torn robes and a worried frown. One, unconscious, and three with smooth expressions but wands out, gripped tightly._

_They knew exactly when they became visible; the loud barrage of exclamations as well as raised wands was a good indicator._

_'We come in peace?' Hermione said weakly._

'Step away from the students, slowly!' The Auror closest to Dumbledore ordered. 'Then throw your wands over.'

'What?' James frowned, confused, but before he could resolve the misunderstanding he heard Draco snarled: 'I knew this would happen Granger, we go with my plan!'

And he pulled Lily to him, pointing his wand at her temple, over the loud exclamations and threats, Hermione's shriek was heard:

'Draco! What the hell are you doing? Do you want to be stuck in Azkaban for a year?'

Meanwhile James and Sirius had pointed their wands out straight at Draco, Remus and George fingering theirs in their hands.

'Shut up, Weasel! This is Dumbledore we're talking about, let's just trade them this lot for peaceful conversation.'

'So you can just take Harry and run? Not a chance!' Lily seethed.

George sighed, 'Merlin help us, Draco, it won't here like this, Lily, stick to Harry if you want. We're not going to do any talking if they think we're aggressing students.'

Draco sighed as he jerkily removed his wand; Lily gave him a dark glare as James hugged her tightly.

'Remus, take Harry, come on all of you, will you just go to the other side, we need to talk with the Headmaster.'

James gave Sirius a hesitating glance before slowly stepping towards the Aurors, they were immediately engulfed into the circle, wands raised even higher at the newcomers.

'Will you stop!' Lily shouted at them, 'they saved us!'

But the Aurors didn't seem to be listening as one started to check for the Confundus charm. Hermione knew the situation would deteriorate rapidly, with George eyeing Harry's form narrowly, while Draco beside him as taut as a stretched string. So she did something she was good at and made an educated guess. Gazing at Dumbledore, who had been watching the proceeding silently, she tentatively said:

'We come from Harry's place…We were sent after him back, it's been a long time.'

His blue eyes widened slightly in his much less wrinkled face and there was silence for a second before he smiled and said:

'You must be the new transfer students! Harry told me you would be arriving. You must forgive me, I'm afraid, with the whole Hogsmeade debacle, I had completely forgot about you.'Not letting the Auror a word in edgewise he continued courteously, 'I'm sure you must be tired, may I suggest we head to Hogwarts before we start with the explanations?'

He motioned them over, as the Auror who had spoken to them before exclaimed in outrage.

'Dumbledore you cannot be serious? This is madness! They could be terrorists under Polyjuice for all we know.'

'I'm sure you heard Miss Evans Auror Grawlson, they were the _rescuers_. Surely you do not think these poor three kidnapped four seventh years? I assure you, they're quite harmless, and can you really blame them for being aah…twitchy after the horror of Hogsmeade? Now, I must ask you to move aside, I need to take my students to Hogwarts, it looks like Mr. Infinitus is in dire need of the infirmary,' he said smoothly overriding any protest from the Aurors.

Seeing the head Auror hesitating James called out: 'We need to hurry sir, Harry was poisoned with an unfinished potion the Unspeakables are working on; he's on the brink of death,' looking all the more the innocent schoolboy with his big brown eyes opened wide.

'But Dumbledore, we need to interrogate them, surely you know the proto-'

'Yes, yes, I assure you I am quite well versed in them, perhaps because I wrote most Auror Grawlson. How about two of your Aurors accompany us inside Hogwarts to take their statement? Besides with the Hogsmeade incident, I am sure the Auror department has a lot to do.'

Said Auror finally gave a reluctant nod.

The next few minutes passed in a blur, as each Auror took hold of one student; Dumbledore cradling Harry. Before they knew it they found themselves at the end of Hogsmeade, Hogwarts castle looming over them. As James looked around he saw the wreckage by the Death Eaters was still evident, window panes smashed, walls blown open and a gloomy atmosphere pressing on the village. The corpses had been removed, but there were still splashes of blood around. After a few brief words, Auror Grawlson and a young fidgety looking Auror watched as the rest of the Aurors Disapparated.

The march to Hogwarts was silent, for James, the realization that they were finally safe was mind-shattering. He had fought and run and shouted to get free, but there had always been a small part of him knowing that whatever they would do, it wouldn't be enough. And now, they were back, all in one piece, more or less. And with a few unwelcome additions. He tried to secretly glance at their expressions. George, face closed off as he approached the castle, flame red hair contrasting with his pale skin. Next to him Draco, a blonde aristocrat, James would guess, with that name and a haughty cold expression- the dark crow's feet under his grey eyes kind of ruined the aloof expression though, making him look more haggard. And hovering around Dumbledore and Harry; Hermione. Her brown hair in a straggly bun, her features quite pretty if pale as she fretted over Harry. Harry…no matter all that happened, James was glad he had been there, the kidnapping had showed them it was only the tip of the ice berg, there were so many things he wanted to ask the unconscious boy he would probably need to make a list.

By then they had reached the doors, and Dumbledore turned towards them,

'I'm afraid we can't Apparate directly into the Infirmary. Due to the circumstances there were no classes today. I would ask you to not answer any questions from your very anxious classmates before we talk everything through and these gentlemen have taken down your stories.'

They all nodded. James gulped nervously as they walked into Hogwarts.

It first seemed like it everything was normal, the chatter of students as some made their way out of the great hall. The first person to notice them was a first year. The poor little brunette just pointed at them and went 'Gah!' Of course, after that there was those few seconds of frozen silence as the students tried to compute what they were seeing. Dumbledore used the opportunity to quickly say: 'I am glad you all seem to be taking this well,'

That was when the buzz started as students and teachers converged, varying emotions from curiosity to relief displayed on their faces.

'But I must ask you to leave these young people alone until they've been checked by Madam Pomfrey. I am sure they will satisfy your inquisitiveness once they are washed and fed. Meanwhile, I encourage you to embellish the rumors with happy endings, I am sure they are much more interesting than what they had been when I left.'

Dumbledore's raised voice was only half heard but McGonagall's glare which she managed to somehow execute while looking relieved at the same time allowed them to pass through the shouting and laughter. It still took them several minutes to get through all the bustle and by the time they reached the infirmary Sirius could have sworn his hearing had been permanently damaged.

'Oh dear Merlin! What happened to this poor boy?' They all froze at the infirmary door arrested by the raging fury that was Madam Pomfrey.

The outraged woman immediately took charge of the situation, her wand waving around furiously as she managed to levitate Harry to the nearest bed, perform a stasis charm on him and glare at Dumbledore all the while.

'What is wrong with him?' She asked absently, already rummaging for potions.

'Poisoned by a potion in its testing phase, but we gave him a bezoar, he might need a purge though.' Hermione replied in her brisk efficient way.

'He also dueled and got tortured, they-they used the Crucio on him,' Sirius added.

They waited in silence though the next minutes, all hoping Pomfrey could work her usual magic with her… magic.

Finally turning around, Madam Pomfrey looked gravely at the Heamaster.

'He's stable, the bezoar saved his life for sure, but he still has traces of the unknown substance in his blood, I gave him the purge, but it will take 6 hours, I'm afraid I could only give him a muscle-relaxer for the Crucio after effects. The magical exhaustion he'll just have to sleep off.'

There was a tangible release of tension in the infirmary.

'Now, who else is hurt?'

'We're fine.' George said quickly, Madam Pomfrey seemed about to protest but the Headmaster interjected: 'I'm afraid I'm going to have to take them to my office, Ministry matters you see.' He said pointing at the two Aurors slightly at the rear. 'I assure you they will be right back in the infirmary once I'm done.

''But Albus, these chil-'

'I'm afraid this is non-negotiable my dear Pomona, come along children.' At their resistant faces he added, 'Harry won't be awake for another six hours, I'm sure he wouldn't like you to hang around his bed for that time.'

A few moments later proceeded to give ten people sitting in the slightly too small office of the Headmaster. Sirius was squashed between Lily and Remus, sitting on a chintz sofa which had been transfigured from what had seemed to be thin air. On the other side, James was nervously looking at the three rescuers' blank faces. The Aurors were looking suspiciously at them while Dumbledore observed everything with his normal unflappable calm.

'Well? Who would like to explain the events of the past day?'

There was a moment of awkward silence and Sirius opened his mouth only to gape like an open fish when he heard the choked sob.

'Are we-are we in trouble?' Hermione asked, a quiver in her voice, her wet brown eyes wide.

Sirius was not the only one gob smacked at the bossy girl's complete change in character, even her companions looked a bit queasy. Auror Grawlson was fidgeting uncomfortably in his transfigured chair. The twinkle in Dumbledore's eye seemed to grow brighter as he said:

'Of course not my dear girl. I understand what a traumatizing event this has been, but we need to know what happened so we can make sure it never happens again.'

'We-we were supposed to meet Harry in front of the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade, he promised us he would get together. He knew how nervous we were about this transfer, we've never been outside Canada.'

'Canada?' The younger Auror asked perplexed.

'Ah, yes, it's the new exchange program I told Mrs. Bones of the other day, with the Salem Institute.'

'I thought Mr. Infinitus was registered at Dumstrang?' Grawlson stated.

'We're pen pals, and Harry visits us from time to time.' Hermione said in her quivering voice.

'Of course he does my dear, carry on.'

'And then.' Hermione gave another sob, hiding her face in her hands, he words slightly muffled, 'there were shouts, and flashes, duels starting everywhere. We tried to get out of the way, but there were these men in weird masks covering the exits of the village, so we started looking for Harry, and there was so much- so much screaming.

Finally Draco found Harry, he was with them' she nodded her head at Sirius who was looking anywhere but the Aurors, a small part of his brain admiring her bold lies. A very small part of him; the rest was freaked out, the amount of trouble you could get in for lying to the Aurors resulted in Azkaban.

'They were trying to hide from the people with the masks,' Hermione continued, 'but then one of them, she said her name was Bellatrix Black, noticed Sirius and wanted to take him prisoner, and then they all tried to protect Sirius and she decided to take them all prisoners. We were trying to reach them but we were too late, they Disapparated.'

Sirius was glad the Aurors were too busy surveying Hermione to look at the rest of them, he exchanged a wary glace with James, a small shake of the head was exchanged, she might be lying through her teeth but this would get messy if they contradicted her.

'So how did you manage to find them?' the young Auror asked skeptically.

'Well, I'm getting to that,' Hermione said huffily, before reverting to her meek expression.'We were so shocked they were taken we didn't have time to do anything, and another one of those scary guys disarmed us, they thought we were with Harry so they decided to take us too. And then, and then…' Hermione seemed overrun with emotions as she hid her face. Sirius rather thought she had run out of original ideas.

'We managed to overpower the two of them once they Apparated us.' Draco drawled.

'You overpowered two grown wizards with no wands?' The Aurors seemed a bit more skeptical when it wasn't a crying girl talking.

Draco raised an eyebrow, 'The Salem institute believes Muggle fighting techniques can be useful to wizards, we've been learning Japanese Aikido for seven years this December.'

'They had taken us to this mansion site, so we tried to track Harry and we found all of them in the dungeons-'

'You entered a Death Eater hideout? And you were not seen?'

'Well we were already inside the wards. It was a simple matter of shadowing them until they got to the dungeons. The mansion itself was empty. But we were locked outside while one stayed and tortured Harry. We managed to get through the door, Stupefy him and escape. Harry was already poisoned and we didn't know if Hogsmeade was still being attacked so we Apparated into Godric's Hollow.'

There was silence for a few seconds before he said: 'That is quite a story.'

'But are there any other explanation?' Dumbledore interjected softly, 'I believe the Death Eaters underestimated them because they were school children.'

'I guess so, but to think mere children managed to fool You-Know-Who…' the younger mused.

'Did you recognize anyone? How many Death Eaters did you see? Was You-Know-Who in the house?' Grawlson inquired gruffly.

Again Sirius was stopped form talking by Hermione interjecting.

'They were all wearing masks and they were really careful not to say anything important, I think- I think they let us to escape. I don't see how else we managed to do it. We overheard them worrying about what You-Know-Who would say about them bringing prisoners. I did hear one of them say You-know-who was not in the mansion because they were wondering if they should summon him.'

'Which mansion exactly? Any recognizable features?'

'No, it was in the middle of nowhere with grey walls,' Hermione said, wringing her hands and biting her lips.

'Do you have anything to add Mr. Potter?' Grawlson asked, seeing James squirming. Everyone's gazes turned to him and James found himself the recipient of Hermione's narrowed eyes glare.

'N-No, I think I really need to get Madam Pomfrey to check my arm, and we haven't slep-'

'Of course, we appreciate the time you took to talk to us. Headmaster, these children have just gone though the most trying ordeal of their life, I suggest hot chocolate and sleep will be necessary.'

'Yes I believe that will do, will you use the floo? It might be faster. I fully expect the Minister to keep these testimonies out of the Daily Prophet, I believe their families will be worried enough without any spurned details.'

'We will do our best, but there are already some leaks,' the young Auror grumbled as he grabbed a handful of floo powder. 'We should be asking ourselves how the Death Eaters felt confident enough to attack a Wizarding village! The safety of the children are our first priority but this wouldn't have happened if there had been constant vigilance!'

Hermione gave a small gasp, which oddly enough, sounded like _mad-eye._ Sirius looked at her worriedly; he still thought she should have her head checked by Madam Pomfrey.

Finally both Aurors were gone and Dumbledore turned around, eyes twinkling like mad, 'Now, how about the real story?'

It was James who recounted the events, stumbling a few times but managing it with remarkable accuracy. Dumbledore made no interruptions, he did flash their rescuers a curious look when James recounted their arrival.

After he had finished the whole story there was once again silence.

'Professor?' James asked hesitantly. 'Why did we lie to the Ministry?'

'I'm afraid that has to do with the status of our friends here. How about we ask them?' He turned around to Hermione, who seemed to be the unofficial spokesperson.

'There mustn't be any records of us here Professor' she said hesitantly, looking at James, 'As you might have guessed, we've been sent to fetch Harry, he's sorely missed and our mis-'

'That's what you keep bloody saying without ever explaining.' Lily was up, flushed and ready to let her temper on a rampage.

'Why are you still here?' Dumbledore interrupted the argument about to take place. At the surprised glances from his students he clarified, 'Why didn't you just take Mr. Infinitus and run?'

'We would have if Granger here hadn't had a bloody 'what would harry do?' fit.' The blonde grumbled.

'I meant, once everyone was rescued,' Dumbledore explained in a patient voice.

'The…Portkey broke. One of the Death Eaters hit me with a dark curse; we're as stuck here as Harry is. Did he explain everything to you?'

'Well, let's say I have a vaguely clear picture of what's happening.'

'So you must know it is imperative for you to help us fix it and leave.' George growled.

'I am quite sure-' There was a flash of gold as the golden phoenix, who had been quietly perched on the back of Dumbledore's chair, vanished in a burst of flames.

'Aah, it seems Mr. Infinitus defies all logic again, he seems to have awakened.'

The students didn't wait for another word as they rushed out of the office, only Draco took a more stately appearance of pretending not to rush as he shadowed Dumbledore, his face set in grim lines.

~flashback~

'Harry,' Hermione said gently, 'it only took us this long because we were trying to find out where the hell you vanished to when- well, I think it might be better we wait for you to recover a little before we start this discussion. But there is a logical explanation for all of it. I promise.'

'I believe Mr. Infinitus, that you and your friends will have a lot to catch up on, shall we sort out the immediate problem before going in more deeply?'

'Immediate problem professor?' Hermione frowned.

'I have just told a group of Ministry Aurors you are the new transfer students; there are enough questions already without you defying that claim.

'But-But can't you just fix the…Portkey quickly.'

'I'm afraid… I am not the Dumbledore you all seem to know, I have not ventured in this delicate area before and I don't think I shall be able to fix the Portkey _quickly_.

'But…but…you mean we have to stay here?' George asked, his voice horrified.

'I am sure this place is not as uncomfortable as you make it sound Mr..aah…'

'Weasley' the red head said absently, when Hermione glared at him he shrugged in a 'what else could I be?' way. Then he smirked, 'these are my friends, Mr. and Miss Granger.'

Harry snorted, having stayed quiet until now.

'Siblings?' James said interested not noticing Draco looking about ready to swoon.

'Cousins,' Hermione said sweetly, seeming to share an inside joke.

'Wow, you don't really look alike. Are you alright Draco?' as the blond stumbled back and fell on the bed.

Meanwhile, Dumbledore continued: 'Perhaps it is better not to have a full sorting ceremony, you all have arrived quite late in the year, I'm sure you'll all fit right in with Harry in Gryffindor.'

Draco gripped the side of the bed, pronouncing an expletive that would have made Merlin himself blush.

'I'm eighteen Dumbledore! We're all too old to be transfer students,' Draco bit out.

'I'm afraid there is no other solution that I can see Mr. Granger,'

Draco winced.

'I'm older than eighteen professor, I believe we're just making this worse by…interfering with Hogwarts.' George drawled in a pretty good imitation of Draco.

Dumbledore ignored the second part of that statement, back to his mad jolly self.

'Hmm, maybe you _do_ look a little too old for seventh year, are you any good in DADA?'

George didn't answer, joining Draco's horrified expression, but Hermione nodded, 'yes that could work, but don't you already have a professor, the year isn't over yet,'

'He died in the Hogsmeade attack,' Lily said hollowly.

'You want me to teach kids defense?' George said with disbelief. 'I can never be a professor, hell, choose Harry if you have to, he's got way more experience, not to mention the number of people rolling over their graves at me _teaching_! You don't even know me!'

'Yes, but I know Harry, and by extension his friends. Well, I believe this matter is settled, I will leave you with Mr. Infinitus for the moment, if you will excuse me, I must go inform Minerva I have found a new DADA teacher; she was quite worried for the syllabus. Oh and the house elves must be informed of the housing arrangement.'

They all stared at the Headmaster with varying expressions from amusement to killer intent as he shuffled out of the Infirmary, turning a deaf ear the loud protests from the blond and red head. At the doorway, he stopped a second before leaving, looking at Harry with his twinkling blue eyes:

'Welcome back to the land of the living Mr. Infinitus.'

* * *

This hasn't been corrected by my beta yet, and it's kinda late so ignore the mistakes and review. seriously. review.

This was as far as I got in my plot planning, and the long pause in the story wasn't that useful in replenishing ideas. I know how I'm going to end it for the sequel/part II but I need ideas and comments and critiques about a few events I could have now that they're back at Hogwarts...Do you think the Auror interrogation was too naive- on the Auror part? Oh and thanks to my reviewers I decided not to kill Hermione's parents, I wanted to add a bit of angst there, but i think they'll be enough of that from Harry's side :P

Oh and for those of you who are a bit rusty on HP7, the whole boarding the train thing referred to King's cross station he saw in his head when he talked with Dumbledore after being AK'd by Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest.

On a side note, I'm trying not to be greedy, but I noticed a lot less reviews for the last chapter than normal...is it my writing that's gone moldy, the fanfic being forgotten or just some readers being lazy?

anderson: I didn't have Ron for many reasons. I didn't think he added a lot to the fanfic, and George/Draco/Hermione combo hasn't been done before to my knowledge. Besides, he's annoying ;)

lillyflower08: Thanks for that, I wasn't looking foward to changing Greyback with a completely different character...

SilverIceBlueEyes: Wow, Hermione/George? I didn't see that coming. Well, I wasn't going to because I wanted to keep the epilogue Ron/Hermione together. But now that I think of it, the epilogue in Harry Potter is not going to conform with my story anyway due to how I'm planning to end Part I, so yeah, maybe I'll change the reason Ron didn't come and start something there, thanks for the idea...


	17. Chapter 17: Marauder Meeting 274

Yes, unbelievably, I am back. With too many excuses to count. It includes me having a hectic year and also reading such amazing fanfics I couldn't help but compare how full of holes and immature my story was. But, the continued reviews months after I abandoned (kinda) gave me hope someone would read it. So I painstakingly finished the chapter I had started in October but I haven't had my beta correct it yet, so it's not perfect. So yes, I am determined to finish this however horrible it may seem to me now. But since I realistically know I won't hold to it during my busy uni semesters, I am finishing this story this August/September. So expect lot's of updates!

I thank my reviewers, I wouldn't have continued without you and since it has been a long time, I'll include a short **summary**:

_Harry (now Infinitus) got sent to 1977 when a spell during his duel with Voldemort went wrong. He needs to get back to his time after erasing his mortal enemy Voldemort from that time. In the year 1977 he goes undercover as a seventh year student where he meets the Marauders and Lily. While on a Hogsmeade outing, they arekidnapped by Death Eaters after Harry shows his duelling skills and Parselmouth ability. They manage to escape with the help of three new time travellers Hermione, Draco and George. Now back at Hogwarts, George will pose at the new DADA professor while Hermione and Draco join as Gryffindors..._

* * *

**Chapter 17: Marauder Meeting 274: The Harry Project **

The moon shone softly, illuminating the slumbering castle. Despite the excitement of the day, the calm was again broken by Mrs Norris' yowls. The sound was quickly cut short by a whispered _Silencio_. Through the slumbering castle shuffling of invisible feet were gone unheard. Said feet belonged to Sirius, member of the infamous Blacks and more notorious Marauders. His wanderings were brought to a halt by the portrait of the Fat Lady. A hurried password later, he slipped past the couple who had unwisely chosen the entrance of the Gryffindor Common Room as their spot for a moment of...passion. Muffling a snort as he recognized the two; he continued on to the boy's dormitory. He had not even gotten the invisibility cloak off completely before a whispered voice asked:

'What the hell took you so long Padfoot? We've been waiting for hours!'

'Did you know Hornby and Olivia hooked up? I just passed the snogging pair.' Sirius sniggered before seeing James' face and adding: 'Filch was prowling, couldn't get rid of his blasted cat.'

'Was he asleep?' Remus asked.

'Yep, waited a good half hour, Harry's not sneaking out of the infirmary tonight.'

'What did they threaten him with? James asked, impressed.

'Pomfrey did nothing, it was that Granger girl. I swear I've never seen Harry so scared.' Then he stopped, as he realised, he had, in fact seen Harry more afraid, only a few short hours ago.

'Right, well, I affirm Marauder Meeting 274: The Harry Project officially open.'

There was a moment of solemn silence before- 'But… But I thought we agreed on the Infinitus Mystery?'

'Shut up Sirius, you're ruining the effect.' James joked weakly, 'And where's Peter?'

'Apparently he landed himself in the infirmary.' Remus answered heavily.

'How is that even possible?' gaped Sirius, 'he was safe at Hogwarts!'

'During the Hogsmeade attack, he changed into his Animagus form. From what I understood of his garbled recounting, he got stuck in the Zonkos cellar while trying to get to the passage and had to change back to be found; aggravating his condition.'

There was silence after that statement before James spoke up: 'We'll visit him tomorrow. But I wanted us to meet here while it's still fresh in our mind...Harry's latest actions are just too...'

'Suspicious?' Sirius finished darkly. James nodded absentmindedly before retracting:

'Don't get me wrong; I'm glad he saved our lives, but the manner in which it was done… and his...friends...'

'Right, so what have you already written down in your diary Moony?'

Remus tried to look insulted, 'What diary?'

'Oh come on, you write everything in there, I'm half surprised you didn't open it in that dungeon there and then and start jotting down things.'

Remus threw his pillow at him before retrieving said ever present dia-notebook,

'Right, well, I went chronologically instead of alphabetically, starting with the knowledge he had of the attack before it happened, how weird he got. Then there was his dueling skills which rivaled the professor's. His Parselmouth ability, the weird scene with You-Know-Who, the things he said under the Veritaserum; especially his godfather Sirius and his knowledge of the Black family.' Remus took a breath as he glanced at his friends' bemused expression and continued, ' His friends' suspicious arrival, especially since the anti-Apparation wards were still in place. Once there, their complete lack of knowledge about the situation but their awareness of Death Eaters and the location, especially the blonde, Draco. Hmmm…Right, also how they recognized us. The fact that they were carrying Polyjuice, a restricted potion, very difficult to make. Hermione also being a Parselmouth, passing the barrier, and knowing the secret passage. Finally their wish to take Harry and leave with the strange Portkey which didn't work.'

Remus raised his eyebrow at the expressions, 'What? I took note of those things while you two were being heroes. Did I forget anything?'

'Aah I don't think so Moony, you were very… thorough.'

'Except, he left out the fact we're only here because Hermione decided Harry wouldn't forgive them otherwise, red haired smiling wonder was all for leaving us.'

'The fact is: we got out.'

'The fact is, we were bloody useless!' Sirius retorted.

There was heavy silence as no one knew how to negate that statement without lying. Finally James stood up,

'Yeah we sucked, but the fact is, we're alive. Yes we need to be better prepared, yes we've been ignoring what awaits us after Hogwarts with our pranks. But now we can say we're aware and we can use it to make sure that when it happens again, we're ready. Now we need to try and figure out Harry because the kid has one messed up history and it's the only way to help him.'

'Maybe he doesn't want his secret out, perhaps we should respect that.'

'But Moony, wouldn't you have said that about your furry little problem? And aren't you now glad we know?' Sirius pointed out, then asked: 'What about Harry's reaction when we met You Know Who? "The wrong one". Remember that? And then he spoke Parseltongue...' Sirius frowned at that. 'Only Salazar Slytherin and You-Know-Who spoke Parseltongue, it's supposed to be one of the darkest Slytherin traits.'

James spoke quietly, 'Harry saved our lives Padfoot.'

Sirius stood up, pacing wildly: 'I'm just saying, do you know what my dear mother would have given for one of her children to be a Parselmouth? That trait is supposed to be extinct since You-Know-Who is-'

'Sirius?' James asked worriedly seeing his friend freeze.

'That's it….it fits everything, the dueling skills, the Parseltongue ability, the secrets...'

'Will you spit it out already?' James leaned forward from his bed.

But Sirius ignored him as he continued, 'And of course, for Dark families, a walk in the dungeon is the least of punishments, considering who he is, we should have expected worse, and - Shit, we've been sleeping in the same- Ow, James, cut it out!'

Sirius glared at James while rubbing his hexed shoulder.

'Well?' Remus asked, curious.

Sirius huffed then exclaimed, 'Harry is Voldemort's son.'

There was absolute silence as his two mates considered the idea. Until, a haughty voice spoke, 'That is absolutely ridiculous Black!' Lily's pale form, closing the door behind herself caused instant pandemonium in the room. A boxer clad Remus dived under the covers, Sirius spun, his wand out while James all together fell off his bed.

'Merlin, Evans, where the hell do you think you are?' Sirius barked.

'Oh shut up Black, Remus get out from under there, I've seen guys shirtless before, you're not upsetting my delicate maidenly sensibilities, and you really should put a privacy charm around when you discuss this kind of stuff. ' She added reprovingly as she waved her wand.

'Who did you see naked?' James asked worriedly as he climbed back on his bed, for once forgetting to ruffle his hair in her presence. Meanwhile, Remus sheepishly crawled out from underneath his bed covers, nevertheless pulling a shirt quickly on.

Lily barely saw a lattice of scars crisscrossing his chest before her attention was snapped, 'I said shirtless Potter, I've seen the guys swimming in the lake every year come Summer. Now, what have I missed?'

Sirius took a few steps forward, shuffling her backwards towards the door: 'You missed absolutely nothing since you're leaving right now.'

Lily smirked, then turned to James giving him a breathtaking smile: 'James, we were in this all together, don't you think I should stay?'

James nodded dazed, while Remus chuckled. 'Do you even know what she asked you mate?' Seeing Sirius' ferocious glare, he added hastily: 'But I think she's right, we were all there, she might remember something we haven't.'

'Fine, what's your take?' Sirius crossed his arms.

Lily took her time, ignoring James poorly hidden eager expression as she sat next to Remus, who moved to make place. 'Well that having him as Volde-' seeing Sirius flinch she changed, 'You-know-who's son is absolutely ridiculous, he was taken with us to the dungeon for Merlin's sake-'

'He's You-Know-Who, my mother used to keep a Boggart in our closet so we would face our worst fears every day.'

'Black, You-kn- Oh for Merlin's sake- Voldemort didn't know Harry, he asked who he was to that Bellatrix woman.'

'Oh yeah…'

'But what else would explain it? The facts don't fit. Harry does not fit.' Remus had stood up and he was now pacing the room himself.

'Maybe he's an ancient immortal who travels the world seeking enjoyment and battles-' James petered out as he saw the looks the other three were giving him. 'Wha-at? Look at the way he duels, his instincts, reflexes, he- he's a fighter. While we just stood there screaming…'

'Oh don't start the self-pity party again P-James-'

'Just how long were you listening at the door Evans?' Sirius growled.

Lily had the decency to blush as she mumbled: 'Long enough. But that's not the point, we need to help Harry.'

'Help Harry, easy to say, but with what? How? He won't be here much longer if his friends have anything to say about it.'

'By figuring out whatever he's hiding, it's driving us apart…'

'But how bad could it be, I mean, fine, tragic or Dark past, does it really matter, we know the Harry of today, it could- '

'That's it! Sirius you're a genius!' Remus finally stopped pacing.

'What! He is You-Know-Who's son? I knew it!'

'That's impossible Black, I already told you-'

'I can't believe we haven't seen it before. Harry is Dumbledore's son!' Remus looked at the dubious faces around him.

'Remus, mate, Professor Dumbledore is like over a hundred.'

'Well, scientifically males do not have an expiry date to father children.'

'Gross, Evans,'

'God, you can be so immature Blac- '

'Whatever, Grandson, then! Come on, think about it! I'm not saying this explains the whole Parseltongue or all of his mysterious past thing he has going on, but think of how he already knows Hogwarts so well! His meeting with Dumbledore at Hogsmeade. It makes sense. He's already been here, just not in an academic sense. Look at how close they were acting, yet still, as strangers… He must have been in hiding, out of the country for a while.'

'Whoa, slow down Moony, why is he stuck here then? Why doesn't he go back wherever he was?'

Remus resumed pacing. 'It must be… out of the country. The only way he can access the International Port Keys would be through the Department of Transportation at the Ministry. And that would defeat the purpose of being in hiding. Can you imagine the media getting a whiff of this!'

'Dumbledore does have a lot of enemies. That would explain the broken Port Key his friends brought… It must be keyed in to the hide out. It would be near impossible to recreate!' Sirius added, warming up to his adapted idea.

'Just wait a second, there isn't only one way to travel, this is- this is- this doesn't explain a multitude of other things.' Lily said weakly.

'They do say Dumbledore was a genius from a young age. It would explain some of the skills Harry has in dueling.' James said cautiously.

'That doesn't prove anything, there's no proof of-'

'Wait, Remus is right, I just remembered, when we were… taken, at one moment, his friend… he said, he called, Harry 'Dumbledore's Heir' – at that moment I didn't pay any attention to it. But now, it all fits, we might not have all the pieces yet but there's no doubt about his heritage. If he grew up in that family, it explains his fearlessness in the face of You-Know-Who.' James' voice was filled with awe, then, he suddenly bounced up and rummaged in his trunk, bringing out a scrunched piece of parchment. 'It also explains the letter we found, at least some of it-'

'What letter?'Lily asked, snatching the parchment. James swallowed dryly as he observed her flashing green eyes scan the words faster than his broom could fly.

'You stole this?' Her cheeks slightly reddened and James could only marvel at her beauty again.

'Hmm yes...What? No, I mean No! He dropped it. I swear.' James replied. Giving him a doubtful look, she nevertheless handed it back, 'I see your point, the way he talks about Hogwarts, the people, it seems like he's at least heard about them before. Fine, okay, we agree, but that still leaves a lot to wonder about his reticence with…well everything, maybe we could talk to him, ask him to trust us, tell him we already know half of it.' Lily said doubtfully.

'Been there done that, he won't open up, horrible idea, it's like Remus all over again,' ignoring the questioning glance Evans was sending him, Sirius continued hastily: 'It'll just drive him away, he'll get defensive like he usually does. What we need to do is annoy it out of him. We have to stick to him like nifflers to gold. He'll break at some point.'

'Now that is the worst idea possible Black, trying to beat it out of him by annoyance is bound to fail. He thrives in adversity, look at- look how he was in the dungeon, the more Bellatrix pushed, the more he resisted. Let me talk to him.'

'Lily, as much as I agree with you, I don't think talking will work on Harry, and no Sirius, we can't annoy him into explaining. Harry is expecting us to push at the moment, he's preparing himself for that, so we have to do something else.'

'So what do we do to gain his trust? Spy on him?' Lily asked indignantly.

'Not spying per say, aah paying attention to what they say, and sticking as close as possible without arising too much suspicion.

They all turned to James, who had not yet said anything, 'I think Remus is right, we can even take turns to make sure he's rarely alone, we'll use the map, the cloak, whatever we need. Harry isn't going to open up to us. We need to find whatever it is on our own.' James said, a determined expression on his face.

'What map?' Lily asked curiously.

James seemed about to answer when he glanced at his glaring best friend and instead gave Lily a wide smirk. 'That, my dear Lily-flower, is for another time, but do feel free to interrupt my sleep any night.'

'Aaand he's back,' Remus muttered to Sirius as James ruffled his hair.

'Ew, okay, my cue to leave, try to get some sleep Potter, you'll be waiting long.' But the usual bite in her words seemed to be absent as she bid them goodnight and left.

'See, I'm growing on her, a whole conversation with no hexing.' James said proudly.

'Whatever you say mate.' Sirius snickered as he leapt onto his bed. 'Right, I'm knackered, and we need to get to breakfast early, observe our targets. Don't forget your diary Remus. Remus?'

'Hm?' the boy answered absentmindedly, 'What theory do you have now?' James sighed.

'Oh, no, nothing, just wondering who Dumbledore's wife was… he must have reproduced first to get Harry's mother or father.'

All three boys turned green at the thought of their quixotic, slightly barmy headmaster reproducing. There was no more talk that night.

* * *

For once, Harry knew where he was when he woke up. The heavy astringent smell of the infirmary clued him in before he had even slit his eyes open. The events leading to his location took a while longer when a soft snore made him start. He saw Hermione, dark circles around her eyes, sleeping in a chintz arm chair next to his bed. Right, the unbelievable events were back together. Voldemort Jr….Hermione, George, Merlin even Draco arriving, not being dead. Stuck at Hogwarts 1977. And though it was hardly a happy thought, Harry gave a soft smile; they were alive, everyone was safe for now.

Slowly, he sat up, careful not to wake the raging sleeping dragon. He had felt fine yesterday, emotionally drained and feeling like he was made of flobberworms but physically fine. But between Madam Pomfrey and Hermione, he had been browbeaten into staying in the Hospital Wing. He had immediately pleaded tiredness, to escape everyone's questions, but he knew he would have to face everyone soon. The Marauders and Lily would surely demand explanations and the time travelers had a lot to say to him too, judging from Hermione's thin lips yesterday. He had no clue what to say to everyone. Not the truth, at least not to the Marauders, and as for the others, well, he didn't understand half of what had happened to him since that fateful duel in the Great Hall.

Still staying as silent as possible, Harry dressed himself with the clean robes he found by his bedside. Then gripping his wand, he tiptoed out of the infirmary. Breathing a sigh of relief, he thanked the early hour for the lack of students in the corridors, he set out towards the Great Hall, mostly by his sense of smell. After 24 hours of hospital soups and potions his stomach was craving for something more human, maybe they had treacle ta-

'HARRY JAMES POTTER!'

Harry cringed as a harried looking Hermione came rushing towards him, frazzled and wand spitting angry red sparks.

'You almost died! You are still weak, you couldn't even stand yesterday! What are you doing here?'

His stomach rumbled and he nearly grumbled something about food, but seeing the real panic Hermione had not quite erased from her face yet, he sighed.

'Come here' he said as he took her in his arms. She let herself be held, head borrowed into his shoulder.

'I am fine 'mione. Come to think of it, I feel much better than I should after all that's happened to me.' Feeling a few hot tears damping his robes again, her shoulders slightly shaking, he quickly changed tact: 'Although I shouldn't be happy you're also stuck here, I am glad. I still don't understand anything, my life has always been surreal but to see you and Malfoy teaming up on a rescue mission really showed me life can still bring surprises. You're not dating are you?'

Hermione gave a choked laugh, thumping his chest. Stepping back, she wiped her face.

'Idiot, I don't know why we even bothered.'

'My legendary good looks?' He ruffled his hair in a very Jamesesque way making Hermione giggle but then she said: 'Harry there is a lot we need to clear-' she cut short, frowning, her eyes focusing to his right. Harry turned to see the Marauders, surprisingly with Lily arrested silently. There was a moment of awkward pause and Harry focused on the weird expression on Lily's face as she seemed to search his features.

Finally, Harry swallowed, his mouth dry, 'hey'

Immediately James bounced forward, catching his shoulders in a bear hug. 'Harry! Glad you're up and awake.'

'Yeah, we were planning to liven things up at the infirmary for you, but now, we'll need to adapt that prank to the Great Hall.' Sirius said, a slightly forced smile on his face. Remus just smiled lightly from behind, while Lily approached him and hugged Harry tightly, whispering a thank you in his ear.

'I'm glad you're feeling better.' she said.

Harry smiled uncertainly; his eyes followed Sirius'expression whose own eyes kept darting between a frowning best friend and Hermione. Turning slightly, he saw Hermione's disapproving glance at Lily's hug.

'Right, guys, I think you've already met, but this is Hermione Granger. Hermione, this is James, Sirius, Remus and Lily.'

'Enchanted. Pettigrew not around?' She asked, looking directly at Harry.

'Err… yeah, where is he?'

'Peter's fine, at the Hospital Wing. He'll be there for the day I think. But how do _you_ know Peter?'

'Uh, I talked about you guys in my letters to Hermione.'

'But you're not really from the Salem institute?' Harry cringed and noticed the other Marauders doing the same at Sirius' question.

'No of course not. Now, Harry, where's the Great Hall? I am absolutely starving.'

Taking his hand, Hermione drove forward, dragging Harry and by extension the Marauders forward. Harry sighed inwardly as they arrived in the Great Hall. The sudden silence of the early risers, and then the increased volume of whispering was something he should have been used to by now. Students were the same everywhere, whatever the year. Shoulders slightly hunched, he walked forward to the Gryffindor table. He chuckled though, as he watched Sirius and James lapping up the attention. Next to him, Lily huffed disapprovingly, 'Honestly, I thought this would have matured him a bit at least.'

'It's a good thing they can still laugh and act like they usually do. Would you really want James to turn into a Remus?' Lily looked arrested at that thought.

'Hey I resent that, what's wrong with Remus?' Said person asked, helping himself to scrambled eggs at the same time.

'What is wrong with Moony? Where shall we begin?' Sirius said dramatically.

'Let's start with his studying habits. No normal person would ever spend more time reading than sleeping in the library.' James joked, ignoring the whispers around him now.

Harry exchanged an amused glance with Sirius, before watching Hermione's slightly dazed expression as her eyes flitted from one person to the next. He wondered if he had looked like that the first few days, the surreal quality of the situation getting to him. 'Harry are you going to eat that treacle tart or not?' Sirius asked, eyeing his plate.

'Yes Sirius, I am eating it, get your own, I was just surprised no one's attacked us with questions yet.'

'Oh that's because of Dumbledore last dinner. Apparently he gave a whole speech about leaving us alone. McGonagall even threatened detention if they disobeyed.'

He did not get the chance to comment as a seething blonde crossed the Great Hall's threshold and headed towards the Slytherin table. Harry gave a worried glance to Hermione, but she was already waving her arm: 'Oi, Draco, we're over here!' She called out, stopping the Slytherin in his tracks. Seeing them at the Gryffindor's table, his scowl turned ferocious but he still glided towards them.

'Your cousin doesn't look very happy Hermione...' Lily said hesitantly. Draco seemed to cringe at those words, as he sat opposite Harry.

'Wipe that smirk off your face scar head.'

'Or what ferret face, gonna call your Daddy to help you? Oh, wait you can't.'

'I can always pay you back for that Sectumsempra.'

'That was low Malfoy, at least I've saved your life more than risked-'

'You imbecilic Gryffindor, as usual, clueless of the trouble you cause others.'

'Oh my trouble? Well what are you doing here then? I sure as hell didn't call you.'

'Wow, you can really feel the love here.' James commented. He gulped as both furious faces turned to him.

Hermione cleared her throat, 'You two behave, we'll sort all this out later. Draco, that is not the way you are going to endear yourself to Harry. Harry, stop acting like Ron for a second. Guys, this is Draco Granger, he can be a bit of an ass so feel free to ignore him. Draco, as you already know, this is Remus, Lily, James and Sirius. I think you were supposed to sleep in their dorm last night.

'I can't believe I'm saying this, but I preferred shacking up with the Weasley.'

'So what are you doing here for breakfast so early?'

His expression turned sour, and he mumbled: 'The git kicked me out.'

Hermione and Harry chuckled while the rest observed their prickly new dorm member with interest.

'So, George right? Is he any good as a teacher?' Remus asked cautiously, seeing Harry and Draco were now quiet, engaged in a glare match.'

Hermione gave a heaving sigh, 'If someone had told me two years ago George would end up teaching the cursed spot I'd have thought they'd been confounded.'

Seeing the puzzled looks, Harry added: 'Fred and George were like the James and Sirius of ou- their school, only identical and with cooler prank products.'

'Prankers?' Lily said disapprovingly.

'Fred?' Remus asked, remembering them mentioning him while they had been captured.

Harry resolutely turned to his treacle tart; his eyes downcast as Hermione gave him a worried glance. Finally Draco bit out, 'Twin, he's dead. Don't mention him.'

The damper mood silenced the group until the owls arrived.

Lily gave her owl a corner of her toast as she unrolled the Daily Prophet.

'Why do you buy that stuff?' James asked, unable to refrain his disapproval at the paper, despite the fact it was his precious Lily-flower reading it. 'My dad says the only time they report the correct story is when they make a mistake. It's all just ministry propaganda.'

'Keep your enemies closer, Potter, closer.'

Ignoring the clueless look on his face, she scanned the headlines, 'Well, we didn't make the front page.'

'Hmm,' Remus said over her shoulder, 'Dumbledore must have managed to squash the news. First pages will all be on the Hogsmeade attack. Here, we're still mentioned:

_Absentees Lily Evans, Sirius Black, James Potter, Remus Lupin and Harry Infinitus were safely returned today. They had been missing since the attack and a team of Aurors, headed by Harold Potter, Head Auror himself were on the case around the clock to find their trail. A witness to their return at Hogwarts said: 'The students were relatively unharmed from the day's tragedy; there are more important things to address now such as the holes in Hogwarts defense... _Bla, bla, bla.'

Sirius glared at the article. 'More important things? We almost died.'

'Must have been a Slytherin quoting.'

'Oh for Heaven's sake, this is a good thing! They've notified our parents already so the less hype there is about this, the less we'll be smothered.' Lily grumbled.

'Smothered? Do you even know my mother? She'll probably send me a Howler wondering why I didn't just do her a favour and die.'

'I'm sure my mother will send enough smothering for two,' James said bracingly.

Harry tuned them out as he looked around the now rapidly filling hall, most of the staff were now at their seats, groggy eyed students coming out of their sleep walking to gossip about the returnees. He looked towards the front of the Hall as Dumbledore stood up. The Marauders started to quiet down from whatever joke they were now recounting. Lily and Hermione were engaged in a fierce debate about something he most certainly didn't want to know about while Draco had his eyes narrowed, in a staring match with…Harry craned his neck to see a young blonde Lucius Malfoy. He reached forward and tapped Malfoy's forehead with his spoon, forcing him to turn his gaze.

'What?' He snapped

'Quit looking at him like that, your features are obvious enough without making yourself stand out even more. Dumbledore should have made you a red head.' Harry whispered.

Draco was forced into silence as Dumbledore spoke up:

'Good Morning, seeing your bleary faces at the return of classes I shall try to make myself brief. The Hogsmeade attack has shaken our peace but it is only more reason to cherish and fight for what we believe in. Thankfully no students were killed, and as you all know, the missing have been found. Unfortunately, one of our own, Professor Rayger died bravely in the attack, protecting the students he taught. Let us have a minute of silence, in his memory.'

He looked gravely at the students, his eyes flashing on Harry's face while the minute ticked.

'Never forget, the price of courage may be high, but it is people like Arnold Rayger that show the ethos this school encourages. Having said that, we have been lucky to have a young brilliant mind agree to remain for the next few months. Please welcome your new Professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, George Weasley. There was a smattering of applause, mostly from the Gryffindor table as the doors to the Great Hall opened and George entered. Seeing everyone's eyes on him, he marched forward, a formidable scowl on his face. Harry wondered how Dumbledore timed these things, but his attention was taken by the Slytherins who seemed to share George's malcontent as they whispered the name Weasley. A particularly displeased Slytherin, which James later identified as Pucey, tried to jinx George as he strode past. George didn't even look at him as he flashed his wand blocking the hex. It was only when he had reached the Professors' table that the other students started noticing what had happened.

'Well, he sure knows how to make an entrance.' Remus whistled, while James and Sirius shared disgruntled looks, probably not having forgotten George was all for leaving them in the dungeons.

'And finally,' Dumbledore cleared his throat. Some may have already noticed, we have two new transfer students from the Salem institute.' He waved his hand towards the Gryffindor table. Hermione dragged Malfoy up and nodded vaguely at the staring student population, before sitting back down.

'Mr and Ms Granger have received the top national scores and finished a term early; they have therefore agreed to spend their last term solidifying the bonds between our schools. Thank You.'

The clapping was more enthusiastic for the two students, Harry growing a bit protective at the number of guys eyeing Hermione. Since Hermione had fixed her hair, and with her smaller front teeth, and fitting uniform, she did have a kind gentle beauty. He however cringed as his musings were interrupted by a rather loud giggle and saw Malfoy was receiving as much if not more attention from the female population as he stared straight ahead, his shoulders stiff. James was tentatively trying to get a word in edgewise as Remus and Lily discussed the homework due in for the day, something James most certainly hadn't done. Hermione as usual, had not noticed the attention she was receiving as she engaged in conversation with Sirius. Harry winced again as he realized she was earnestly trying to explain the rights of House Eves as he was determinedly trying to flirt with her. Harry sighed, wondering if he should have a word with Sirius, before Hermione realized he wasn't listening to a word she was saying and hexed him.

A loud quack and snorts of laughter turned everyone's attention to Pucey, where the unfortunate Slytherin was now sporting a duck head, his hand still clutching his contaminated porridge. James and Sirius laughed uproariously as a few Slytherins tried unsuccessfully to help their housemate. Even Lily had a reluctant smile as Harry told her amid the noise:

'Told you, prankers are not all bad.'

* * *

Again, not that much action, but a neccessary evil, next chapter: George as a Teacher.

Of course, I might not deserve them, but I still ask for reviews, since I'm unsure about how I should portray George, does he blame Harry for Fred's death? Is he going to be a cool teacher or turn into a Moody? All suggestions are welcome!


	18. Chapter 18: Für das größere Wohl

Right, so slightly later than I'd promised to (that does seem to happen a lot) but this time it was situations beyond my control like a trip to Switzerland, a near car crash, a crazy birthday party and travelling back to London. I actually wrote most of this chapter in the bus in the channel tunnel. So here I am, suitcases still unpacked posting this chapter (not betaed so just wince and ignore any mistakes).

Thanks goes to those who reviewed, you encouraged me to post today and gave the rest of you this extra long chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Für das größere Wohl**

_A loud quack and snorts of laughter turned everyone's attention to Pucey, where the unfortunate Slytherin was now sporting a duck head, his hand still clutching his contaminated porridge. James and Sirius laughed uproariously as a few Slytherins tried unsuccessfully to help their housemate. Even Lily had a reluctant smile as Harry told her amid the noise:_

_'Told you, prankers are not all bad.'_

It was a bit like a formal pureblood dinner at 12 Grimmauld Place, Sirius pondered as they sat through History of Magic. There was the polite chatter of people, a wave of meaningless day to day talk to the unobservant eye. But, if you were well versed with pureblood politics like he had been forced to be; you spotted the inconsistencies, implied threats, constant body motions meaning far more than words could express. Half finished gestures and the festering unease, covered up by an insipid layer of grease. He was rather proud of himself for that analogy.

But that was beside the point.

They had gone to their classes in an awkward ambience. Each seemed to be on the verge of saying something that would break the uneasy calm yet at the last moment changed to comment on a less inflammatory subject such as the prank done at breakfast. Well, except the girl, Hermione who started babbling on the twentieth century renovations done on Hogwarts inspired by some Muggle artist.

It was maddening: himself, Remus, James and Lily on one side, Draco and Hermione on the other, neither side quite comfortable while Harry looked straight ahead, eyes glazed and trying very hard to look as if there was wrong with the whole situation.

A flying piece of parchment dragged Sirius from his musing; blearily opening his eyes he saw it was Remus who had pelted him. Remus gave a pointed glance to his wand, and then to Hermione and Harry who were busy whispering two desks ahead of him. Sirius immediately got the message as he nudged a lightly snoring James next to him.

'Mmph- Five more minutes.'

'James, not the time right now!' Sirius whispered, 'Remember the spell we used to listen in to McGonagall talk in the staff room after our icicle prank? What was it? I never got the hang of it. We have to use it!'

James blinked his eyes open, 'Why doesn't Moony do it?' he grumbled, 'He's too far away, can't aim properly. Come on.'

James finally sat up properly, examining the mass stupor of the students around him, that is, all except for the hushed whispers of said two students. A sudden grin appeared on his face and he carefully aimed his wand at Harry, keeping it low on the desk.

'Sanus Eotius!'

He then repeated the wand movement to Sirius' ear, and his own. Immediately, the sound of Harry's voice burst in their eardrums as if he was whispering right at them.

'...don't get is how you found me in the first place. I mean, for all you knew, I had just died taking Him with me...'

James saw Hermione push a strand of her hair back impatiently as she looked into Harry's eyes, 'That's just it, we didn't know. It was more a hunch than anything else. We researched the spell, Deathero Infinitus... We had our own task force for it, officially joined by the Ministry, but they were far too busy reconstructing everything to spare the people. We nearly lost hope when we found out about the limbo part...' She choked.

'So what did you do?' Harry asked quietly after a prolonged silence.

'Most had given up searching for you by then. I think they even liked the idea of a last sacrifice. They were already planning to erect a memorial for you next to the bank. But it didn't fit. Kreacher still didn't answer to anyone else,' Sirius jumped at that name; 'The house was still under your name. That might have been explained by the fact that you wouldn't be dead in the limbo but even at Gringotts, the goblin magic didn't allow anyone else enter your vault. And I talked to Bill, he's worked extensively with the Goblins. The vault should have opened since there is no way you would have been able to come back. The magic would have considered you dead. That's when I asked Shacklebolt for help,' Harry, Sirius and James all frowned.

'He's the new prime minister you know.'

'Finally something those wizards don't screw up.' Harry said moodily.

Hermione ignored him, 'He named me head of the operation. I got to work with the Unspeakables. We concentrated on a new approach. We stopped trying to find your location and whether you were still alive. Instead, we just used you as the point of anchor. We then created a device, the Key, to be able to send a retrieval team to get you. That's what took the longest, building the device. Especially since we broke most of the _instruments_ that could have helped us; when we fought for the prophecy back in fifth year.'

'I can't believe it worked...' Harry mused.

'I can't believe it broke.' Hermione retorted, 'I have no idea how we're ever going to get back now. The whole mission's failed for the moment. We even lost the sand in the device back outside the Lestrange manor. We'll have to start from scratch and Merlin knows how long that is going to take. We'll have to go to the library, Restricted section, can we get uninterrupted access? Or we can just use your cloak; I got all your things, just in case. Besides, I think, with the Marauders, we'd better work at night. What have you worked on since you've been here?'

'Well, I- Dumbledore went to talk with Flamel, he didn't tell me what he's found out yet. And he went through Grindelwald's old research. That's how I found about the spell he cast on me.'

He looked at her before asking: 'What?'

'Dumbledore?' She mouthed, looked puzzled, but then her expression cleared: 'You haven't done anything to get yourself out of this mess have you?'

'What do you think I should have done Hermione?' He replied a tad bit too defensively.

'I don't know, anything! I know you Harry; you never rest on your feet while waiting for other people to do what needs to be done.'

'Yeah, well maybe there was nothing to do, I told you, Dumbledore was working on it.'

'Dumbledore, Dumbledore, can you hear yourself? As much as I respect the Headmaster, I know you've stopped listening to his 'advices' ever since that Skeeter woman wrote about him. Why else did you defy his orders and used the link you have to check out Voldemort's link?'

'Will you lay off Hermione!' Harry grumbled as he hunched back in his seat, black strands hiding his eyes.

'No, no I won't Harry, not this time. I understood why you went to meet Him in the Forbidden Forest after seeing Snape's pensieve. I forgave you for pretending to be dead; I could understand all you were doing was to kill Him. But this... you're hiding Harry. This isn't about defeating him anymo-'

'Well maybe, for once in my fucking life, it doesn't have to be about him.'

James gave Sirius a look, both still pretending to be snoring with the rest of the class as Professor Binns voice droned about Gormuk the Gleeful and his Goblinic coup d'etat. Harry didn't swear much, and that more than anything else told them how heated the conversation was getting.

'No, I'm sorry Harry, but you need to wake up. I know, I get how much you wish this was your life, this must be your most peaceful year yet, despite the kidnapping. But it's not real Harry. Lily... James... Heck, Sirius and Remus, they can't replace them. Laughing, pretending here, it won't bring them back-'

'God, Hermione, you think I don't know that? I'm not delusional-'

'I'm not saying you are, just that- subconsciously you're not even trying to get back to our world. Half of you wants to stay here and forget about who you really are. And it's understandable. But you cannot remain hiding from reality. Every parental figure you've ever had has died back there, but you are forgetting the living Harry, you mean the world to them over there. None of them here even know the real you!'

'Fine, I don't want to leave, there, I said it, but I know, I know, same way as I knew I would never have a future with Ginny to keep her safe. But here it's different, no one knows me, if we get rid of Him I could stay and protect-'

'No! Harry that is exactly what I was afraid off! You can't change destiny. Everything that happens must happen, or you'll end up killing thousands more. Is it what you really want? They don't know anything about who you are here, what they mean to you, you're living a lie! To all of them, you're just a transfer student here for a year. You mean nothing to them!'

Harry had turned white at her speech, which had progressively turned louder until it could hardly be called whispering. She seemed to regret her words as soon as they were out, but the bell ringing stopped her from apologising as Harry turned white and clutching his bag and wand, stormed out of the classroom.

Hermione started shuffling quills and parchment in her bag hurriedly, as Draco seemingly glided towards her.

'Well done Granger, that's all we need, Harry on his periods. Next time do use a silencing spell before you alert the whole world about our mission.'

Hermione seemed about to retort when she saw Sirius and James far too innocent faces looking towards them. Sighing, she replied, 'He can't go far, we have DADA now. I'd forgotten how melodramatic he could be.'

As the class converged noisily out into the corridor, coming back to life after the zone out session, Remus zeroed in on them, eyebrows raised, 'Got it?'

Sirius gave a slight nod, mindful of the two new transfers hurrying in front of them.

'Got what?' A sly voice asked behind them, Sirius, already on edge from the conversation, jumped, 'Merlin, Evans, quit doing that!'

'We'll tell you later,' James ground out as a blonde head turned around eyeing them with a contemptuous glare. James asked loudly: 'So that means I'll be your date for the next Hogsmeade visit right Lily-flower?'

Lily automatically responded with a scathing repartee, but for once there was no bite in her insults as they curiously made their way to their new DADA class.

It didn't take them long to find Harry lounging against a wall next to the DADA classroom, an aura of unapproachability surrounding him. That didn't seem to stop Lily as she marched forward and smiled.

'Harry! There you are, why are you waiting outside?'

'Locked,' Harry answered warily, his eyes flickering between her and the Marauders slowly approaching.

'So Harry, do we have permission to prank this professor or is he off limits the same _Lily flower_ is to James.'

James blushed bright red and Harry couldn't help but give a soft chuckle, 'You can try, but I doubt George would fall for anything you come up with.'

'Wanna bet?'Sirius waggled his eyebrows, 'I doubt he's ever seen anything like a Marauder prank.'

'Fine, don't say I didn't warn you, look what happened to Pucey.'

'Yeah, I've been meaning to ask about that, how did he manage it? Was it a time delayed spell?' Lily asked, 'because it didn't activate until he was at the staff table...'

'Excellent deniability,' James added.

'I reckon he dropped some kind of powder in the guy's porridge,' Harry said softly, 'while he was waving his wand to block the hex.'

'Hmm, we need to prowl around that office of his, Prongs, see if he has anymore _powders..._ think of the possibilities.'

Harry rolled his eyes but did not get to warn them against the idea as the door to the DADA classroom creaked open. Most of the students stopped gossiping as they observed the complete darkness behind the door.

'Do you think we should enter?' Alice, who was hanging around Frank, asked cautiously.

Harry frowned, not liking the feeling he was getting, and gave an involuntary glance towards Hermione, who shrugged.

By then though, the students, tired of waiting were boisterously entering he classroom. Shrugging , Harry followed Sirius, into the classroom. He definitely needed to get more sleep, this was Hogwarts; he was getting paranoid.

Except...he revised his statement as the last of the students filtered in and the classroom door snapped shut. Immediately Harry fished his wand out, his hair on end.

There was no warning, no significant change, perhaps only that unconscious shiver on the back of his neck, but instinctively Harry shouted: 'Duck!'Grabbing the two closest to him and pulling them down. A fraction of a second later, red bursts illuminated the darkened room as Stupefying spells rushed past them.

Amid the ensuing pandemonium of edgy students, several voices cried out: 'Lumos.'

Harry raised himself and saw from the periphery of his eyes that the DADA classroom had been enlarged greatly, but what garnered his attention were the Hogwarts suits of armour dispersed against the wall, advancing while still throwing spells around with less than perfect aim. Despite the crazy wand waving more than a quarter of the class were already out of action.

'I'm going to kill Weasley, if this is his idea of teaching.' Draco drawled as he waved his wand carelessly, rebounding a Petrificus Totalus.

Harry looked back to see the Marauders were relatively unscathed. Sirius alert, his wand out, while Lily and James were arguing on his side. Remus was watching the advancing suits of armour with wide amber eyes.

'...Goodness sake Potter, I can fight on my own, stop throwing yourself at me whenever you hear a hex called out.'

'But Lily-'

'Don't Lily me!' She retorted, 'Protego!' And stopped the spell aimed at the small of James back.

'Guys, can you go back to arguing later?' Remus asked mildly.

Harry nearly snorted with laughter, his shoulders relaxing as he regarded the classroom exercise in a new light. He had never really used dummies in the DA. Mostly he had paired the students with each other. Nimbly side stepping another curse, he admitted he still preferred his own method. The suits of armours moved in predictable patterns, pausing between each burst of magic. George had probably done something to them, to lower their firing speed since they had fought more smoothly in the battle of Hogwarts. But then, the poor visibility of the few lighted wands caused enough chaos and confusion. Harry ducked another jet of light, this one from a panicked student.

'Impedimenta!' Sirius threw at one, cackling madly. The suit was pushed backwards a few metres, tripping another one by the force of the spell where James was ready, sticking them to the ceiling with a wand movement Harry was sure had been learnt from one of their numerous pranks. He had to admit Sirius and James were brilliant duellers in a contained environment. The moves they used might not work against a real enemy wishing to cause serious damage but he could not fault them for something they had not experienced in full.

'Incarcerous,' Hermione chanted neatly close to him as the suit stopped a few inches from casting a spell, falling heavily on the wooden floor.

Harry was surprised by how few students were left on the duelling floor as the suits of armour continued firing spells. He watched while duelling his own with ease as a Hufflepuff lifted her wand and used Incendio on the opposing suit of armour.

He shook his head with a sigh, dispatching his own with an 'Impedimenta' as he turned to see the screaming Hufflepuff running around with the suit now breathing fire after her.

'Aguamenti,' He called out, dousing the suit with water before blasting it back against a few others.

'Harry, stop hurting them!' Hermione called out, 'They're just doing their job!'

Harry rolled his eyes as a few straggling students turned their incredulous gazes to Hermione.

'Fine, Incarcerous!'He called out to his next opponent.

There were not many students left by the time they were down to the last suit of armour, less than ten, Harry counted. He turned to help Hermione dispatch the last one, the floor littered with unconscious students and wriggling suits bound with long ropes when the darkness residing in the room, disregarding the few weak lumos', started lifting. Harry raised is gaze to where he could see the door to the Professor's room creaking open.

But out of it did not come a shock of red hair but Basilisks. Two rather small basilisks, they managed to fit through the doorway after all. Harry instinctively closed his eyes as they slithered in, was George off his rockers? How the hell did he find two basilisks in the first place? Then, he frowned, realising he'd already seen the yellow eyes and was still not petrified. Amid the continued screaming now going on, the two basilisks which were narrowing on the poor Hufflepuff girl who had previously managed to light her suit on fire changed directions, and then suddenly one morphed into a large Acromantula, while the other turned into a large wolf. A werewolf.

'It's a Boggart!' Hermione shouted over the din. Harry spared a glance for Remus, who had turned sheet white at the werewolf appearance.

'Ri-riddikulus!' Alice stuttered at the large Acromantula who was growling menacingly.

Harry stood arrested, his brain willing his body to move but a gripping fear freezing his limbs. Voldemort...Dementors...the people he'd lead to death... He didn't want to face the truth, any of it. He watched as Hermione, and surprisingly Draco leapt forward to deal with them. One Boggart sped towards Draco, morphing into Narcissa, a wizened hand stuck behind grey bars and Harry instinctively knew it was Azkaban. He saw Draco pale but still intone calmly: 'Riddikulus.'

CRACK! Immediately the scene changed to Bellatrix in Narcissa's place. Draco let out a joyless 'Ha!' and the Boggart disappeared with a shriek.

Stupid. He hadn't been able to stop focusing on Draco's worst fear. He had ignored the rest of his surroundings. Elementary mistake. He was suddenly faced with the shifting grey form the Boggart took as it travelled towards him. Perhaps sensing he held the greatest fear. He had just enough time to glimpse Hermione being blasted from her feet by a suit of armour, which had not been incapacitated properly and the sudden silence as the few remaining students conscious enough looked towards him in spite of themselves. Then it was only him and his worst fear, a part of him filled with morbid curiosity, because he had no idea what would appear.

CRACK! The scene in front of him morphed. Suddenly Harry was floating upright, in a place he thought he would never go back to. Warm light bathed him as he found himself back where everything had started. He marvelled at how his worries seemed to vanish. From the corner of his eyes he could see his body was slowly being moved forth but he couldn't bring himself to care. He instinctively knew he was back in limbo but the thought did not seem to cause him stress.

CRACK! Harry let out his breath as he hit the cold stone floor. All of it disappearing. He looked around, his eyes blinking dazedly.

He saw the Marauders, Lily Draco and Frank were the only students still left standing. And finally, in the middle of the classroom was George, his wand out, expression frozen. His eyes roving over the identical persona Harry instinctively knew to be Fred. There was a moment of silence, the three other time travellers too frozen to interfere. Fred raised his arms, and gave a small smile, but before he could open his mouth, George quietly let out: 'Riddikulus.' Immediately Fred turned into a canary cream puff. Finally, with a bitter laugh, the Boggart was vanished.

Harry lowered his eyes, unable to face George's gaze but he needn't have worried. George turned around to the middle of the Duelling floor. With a wave of his wand, students were re enervated. Harry let himself be lost in the indignant cries of the waking as the bruised Marauders crowded around him.

'You alright Harry?' Lily asked as she impatiently brushed her straggling hair out of her face.

'That was rough mate, stinky little buggers. I feel bad about letting that one into the Hufflepuff common room in fourth year,' Sirius mused.

'Fine, Just peachy.' Harry muttered more harshly than he intended to. Softening his voice, he added: 'I'm alright now, just didn't expect George's first class to be this intense.'

'Yeah, we got somewhat anxious when you started disappearing.' Remus added, his normally neat tawny hair mussed.

'I disappeared?' Harry asked numbly.

'Yeah, it was weird, all this light appeared and it was getting harder to see you.'

'I disappeared...' Harry didn't know much about Boggarts but he had never heard anything like that ever happening. George's voice did not allow him to ponder the implications.

'Pathetic.' He said, much to the discontented whispers going on in the class. All the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were up now. George paced, ' I did not use anything not learnt in your first five years at Hogwarts. Would anyone explain how only six students remained standing when I had more than half the Slytherins up after this exercise and a quarter of the Ravenclaws.

A swarthy Gryffindor spoke up: 'You ambushed us, how do you think we were supposed to react?'

'Ambushed? Do you live in a Patented Day Dream charm? You would be dead right now. You don't get to decide if you want to be ambushed or not. Out there. You adapt. Or you die. At the end it doesn't come out to who studied the most or won the last Quidditch match. You think Voldemort will play fair?'

George ignored the cowed looks and dead silence. 'Whether you chose to become his filthy slaves or fight against him, he will lie and cheat and kill to get to the end of his means. There is no fair in real life duelling. You will be pawns either way. You just get a better epitaph depending on who wins.'

'That's not true. Some of us will fight for what we believe in.' Lily couldn't help but interject.

George gave the same broken laugh again; James was eerily reminded of Harry laughing so the first few days at Hogwarts. Like the mouth could go through the motions but had lost the ability to inject the warmth and humour needed.

He slowly turned to face Lily as she refused to lower her trembling chin.

'What you believe in? Is it worth it? The sacrifices? What you believe in is all you have left as you lose track of all the dead bodies, and that's when you wonder if you're fighting for what you believe in or what your precious leaders decided you should believe. There is precious right and wrong, black and white in war. All that matters are the people you care about and that vanishes with their death when you sign up on either sides of their propaganda. Class dismissed.'

The rather bashed students seemed to take a second to realise they'd been released and then wasted no time to get themselves out of the intense class. Only seven students seemed to remain locked in place.

During the Professor's rather impassioned speech, James had discreetly looked at his friends. Draco had a weary expression on his face. Hermione was not even looking at George as she bit her lip worriedly and gave small glances towards Harry.

Harry...had his face downwards, expression masked, but James could see the white clenched fists and the tick in the jaw. He nudged Sirius, silently asking if he thought they should stop this speech with their usual brand of mayhem before blood was spilled. Sirius shrugged, his eyes pointing to Lily whose wand was shooting angry red sparks. The last of the other students were barely passed the threshold when she burst again:

'You're just repudiating the entire resistance that took place against Grindelwald and that was much bigger than this war against You-know-Voldemort. We would be under the whims of a manic Dark Lord if they had all thought like you do. Of course there were sacrifices-'

'Grindelwald? Grindelwald is the past, I am preparing you for a new generation of war, repeating the mistakes of your forefathers is not an option. It is very easy, Miss Evans, to talk about sacrifices and statistics of the past. After all, they are merely story books to your generation. It is when you are embroiled in your own sacrifices and manipulated by the 'great' men of the century that you start questioning the motives and causes. Take my advice: ignore whatever they sell you as a cause. Whether it's killing Muggles or protecting them against Death Eaters, it is a thankless task, you can only just try to save your loved-'

'But sometimes it is about the Greater good!'

James had been wondering how long Harry would be able to restrain himself. Apparently this was it, frankly he was surprised Harry had lasted that long.

'Sometimes, you have to think beyond yourself and who you're putting in danger by merely existing. Sometimes a generation of death is necessary for the future's peace!'

'Really Harry? Was it worth it? I would have thought you of all people would understand.'

'And you sound like Aberforth. Some things are worth dying for.'

'Dying for? What about sacrificing the lives of your parents, children, brothers? Are you willing to pay that price for a new generation of ignorance and naiveté?'

'That's not your choice. It can't be your choice. You have to let the others- ' Harry seemed to choke at his words, and James could only stand there, conflicted. Because George and Harry seemed to be on a completely different wavelength, having a completely different conversation. The words made sense but the pleading expression on Harry's face, the bitterness on George's, even James could see there was a whole other conversation going on.

'Guys, please...' Hermione trailed out, her eyes flickering between her two friends.

'You have to let the others choose, whether the cause is worth it for themselves. Whether they are able to put everything on the line. That's the only way you can live with yourself...You know he would agree with me. He would-'

'Don't!' George breathed so quietly James saw his lips moving more than anything else. 'Don't talk about him like he chose that-'

'He did though. We all did. We all decided it was worth it. We can regret them now. But you couldn't deny them their freedom then, and you can't deny their sacrifice now!'

'Shut up! Your parents were dead!'And James saw Harry take a step back as if George had physically punched him. 'They were dead since you were young enough to be ignorant of what the word meant! You do not wake up every morning wondering why it was him, not you, him in that place at that time. You should be damning Dumbledore and Voldemort. Their scheming is what made your life such hell. Every significant action you took in your life was decided by them. We saw the memories, in the pensieve, the ones Snape left you before he died.'

'George, please, please stop!' Hermione cried out, hands wringing.

James could not say anything though. It was the same morbid fascination in which you watched an approaching Bludger crash into a player in slow motion. He half expected Remus to bring out his diary and copy word for word the accusations ringing in his ears.

'No. I need to hear it. Why remain Dumbledore's Golden Boy? Why, when you saw he was raising you like swine for slaughter? You were nothing but a chess piece to him. A chess piece in his nineteen year match with Voldemort. Why do you protect his twisted ideals after you had the granite proof he was manipulating you. Like he did all his other pawns. At least you were his King. But what about your parents? Bishops do you think? Or just simple fodder for the jaws of death-'

'Weasley, there's an audience, have _some_ decency-'Draco drawled out finally.

But George seemed too far gone as he clutched his wand tightly, his eyes burning bright.

'Was Cedric also Für das größere Wohl? A necessary sacrifice? What about Dobby? Tonks? Moody? What about _my_ brother?'

'Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Don't- Don't make it seem- like I don't care- don't-'

'And what about Sirius? Was that your first necessary sacrifice? Did you justify his death the same way? I know secretly you know it was your fault, that you've let the guilt eat you away from the inside. Who did you secretly blame for him? Bellatrix? Voldemort? Or Dumbl-'

James never saw his wand move as a powerful red jet of light rushed at George who immediately parried it.

Again James watched the duel, his indecision annoying him, but Hermione and Draco also seemed unable of stopping them without hurting them as a furious duel ensued. This was somehow different than the duel with Bellatrix, for one, the curses didn't seem as dark. But the raw intensity behind the curses seemed to fuel them with so much more power. There was a desperate expression on Harry's face as he riposted spell after spell, barely dodging the responding curses. Instead, he blasted defensive shields one after another, the heat and force pushing the spectators further away. After the first few minutes James wondered if the Infirmary was open because this could only end with one of them incapacitated.

What he didn't expect was Lily stepping in, wand out as she aimed an Incarcerous at George. George batted it away as he automatically flung another curse back at her. Harry saw the movement at the same time as another curse came towards him. His body moved before his brain as his wand performed the wand movement to dispel the vomit inducing spell coming towards him and the rest of his body moving to shield Lily. His dispelling curse seemed to work but he was flung backwards as the cutting curse sliced his right cheek open.

Hermione's wand immediately seemed to act as she incarcerated George.

'That is enough!"She said firmly as Harry got to his feet slowly.

'Don't pretend you don't hate him as much as I do,' panted George, ignoring Hermione, 'Don't spout words of wisdom you don't believe in.'

Harry ignored Lily exclaiming about his cheek as he spun around without a word, ignoring the calls after him, he sped up down the corridor.

'Excellent Weasel, anything else you want to get out in your self pity purge?' Draco drawled his countenance seemingly unflappable.

'I need to go-'

'No you stay here, he's had enough of both of you it today. Try and do some damage control if you will,' he added, jerking his chin towards the Marauders. 'I'll go break up his own mounting pity fest before he drowns all of us in manly Gryffindor why-couldn't-I-save-them too moans.'

With that, the blonde strode out still managing to look like he was gliding. Hermione seemed about to run after him before she sighed, brushing an errant curl of her face. Then she looked at their expressions and glared. James couldn't but gulp at the ominous expression.

* * *

Harry didn't know where he was heading after storming out of the classroom so he was surprised when he felt the cool evening air. He was close to Hagrid's hut but he balked at entering and answering the ensuing questions about his mood. Instead, he headed to the outskirts of the forbidden forest, not out of a particular sense of recklessness but because everything seemed to go back to that moment. When he had faced the Avada Kedavra curse for the third time. The last time he had seen his mentor...Dumbledore.

There was so much more he should have asked him. So much he needed to be reassured about. Things he only had thought of after _that_ day in the deceptive peace of Hogwarts 1977. He couldn't blame himself for not asking them. At the time Voldemort was the main concern, it still was after all. But George words still seemed to resonate inside his head.

_Don't pretend you don't hate him as much as I do..._ Did he? Did he hate Dumbledore for what he had made him go through? Would he have done much different in Dumbledore's place to ensure the peace of the Wizarding world? He wondered. He had hated him after Sirius' death, a white hot anger that had maybe surpassed what George was feeling now. But he had gotten over it. After breaking most of Dumbledore's instruments and nearly attacking him of course. But this was different. George _had_ attacked him. And Harry couldn't bring it in himself to blame him.

He had been a pawn, a wonderfully obedient one. And he himself had used others for his own means. Oh he might have cared for them, feared for them. But at the end, it was still the same thing. The 'light' side had been manipulated by Dumbledore, the 'Dark' side by Voldemort. Only Regulus had broken free and acted on his own. He had blindsided both sides by finding out about the Horcruxes and exchanging the locket for the fake one. But how had that helped anyone? How had acting on his own saved anyone? It had killed Dumbledore after all, or at least weakened him. Was that the only way to win the war? By using human sacrifices and carefully manipulated wizards and witches?

A sudden hoof beat alerted him to a new arrival. He lifted his gaze and saw a thestral, large lustrous eyes approaching. He gave a bark of laughter then stopped as the thestral paused, shy. It seemed so fitting to have a thestral, a creature only seen by those who've seen death, find him on the outskirts of the forbidden forest. He slowly removed his hands from his pockets. Seeing the slowly approaching thestral reminded him of Luna, the wild Hippogriff that had once approached him. He wondered if she was still in the Forbidden Forest or if the animal had sensed somehow, the escalating war and left England. He gripped his wand nervously as the thestral moved right up into his line of vision. Then, before he could move out of its way, a large raspy tongue licked his blood soaked cheek in one wet movement.

Harry stiffened at the voice behind him, 'Of course the morbid thing is attracted to you, is that what the Weaselette has to contend with back home?' He hadn't heard Draco sneak up on him, and that annoyed him more than the actual words.

'Shut up Malfoy, it's my blood she's attracted to. Don't get too close though, might try to kill you like Buckbeak. Animals sense those kinds of things.'

'I was thirteen scar face. Grow up will you.'

'When you stop calling me by pre pubescent insults ferret face.'

Harry realised with a jolt that the usual animosity when he talked with Draco was missing, both their hearts didn't seem to be in it.

'What are you doing here?' He asked wearily, turning around now that the thestral had finished snacking on his face. Malfoy looked at him, his face expressionless before raising his wand. Harry did not even have the energy to lift his own.

'Sana Artasiosus.' With a graceful wand movement his cheek started tingling; Harry raised his hand to his face, the cut had vanished.

'Handy, where did you pick that up?' Harry asked, ignoring how surreal the situation was. An odd small disconnected part of his brain was shouting that Malfoy had just healed his cheek! Malfoy! Harry told it to shut up.

Malfoy just gave him a look. Seeing Harry's clueless expression he elaborated.

'I helped Severus as the resident healer of the Dark Lord after raids when the amounts of injuries were high. The spell is usually used when Sectumsempra calibre castings but then I usually didn't heal little cuts and bruises.

Harry ignored the gibe, not sure what to say to that so he remained silent. Too many possible minefields in every word Malfoy had just said.

There was a moment's silence. If someone had observed them they would have found the situation odd. Both young men just standing on the outskirts of the forest, looking at each other, frozen out of time as the wind ruffled their locks of hair. No words exchanged but conflicting emotions on the dark haired one's face while the other seemed to force his countenance to give nothing away.

Finally Draco broke the mounting silent tension: 'George doesn't blame you, you know.'

Harry, his hands firmly ensconced in his pockets again replied: 'I know.'

There was a pause before the Slytherin realised: 'But you blame yourself.'

Harry gave him the same look Malfoy had given him. But this one expressing the universally understood juvenile Duh.

Draco wisely changed the subject: 'How long are you going to hide here then?'

'I'm coming back up for Dinner, it should be served soon.'

'You know that's not what I meant.'

'Well what did you bloody mean? His temper igniting like a Summer fire, nervous energy coursing through his body. He started walking back towards the castle then changed his mind, heading towards the lake. Before Draco could answer he continued: 'You know, maybe Hermione is right. Hell, of course she's right, don't pretend you weren't listening, I felt the breach of privacy spell in History class.' Ignoring the nonplussed expression on the blonde's face as he strode to keep up with him, he went on: 'What if I do want to stay? Would it really be so bad to rewrite the sucky future?'

Draco reached out and shook Harry to face him before he drawled back: 'You'd be erasing the millions of lives that exist in our time Potter. Messing with time so far back is taboo for good reason. The only reason we were allowed to create and use the Key even though it could interfere with time depending on where you'd vanished to was because it was Harry Bloody Potter's life on the line and the public was mounting in outrage.' He ignored Harry opening his mouth and rushed on, now Harry following his own furious strides.

'The Weasley was right about one thing, there will always be Dark Lords. Even if you somehow incredibly succeed in keeping a few generations in peace, what then? You die of old age and when a new Dark Lord rises, the population of Britain will only have fairytales to teach them what to do in case of a coup d'état. You need the let life toughen them up and steal what ever naiveté they have about it. The is a force right now, trying to keep everything balanced, but there's only so much it can balance, we need to get back before the ripples we make are too large to be counterbalanced.'

They had reached the lake's edge by then, the dying sun barely visible on the other side. The utter silence of their surroundings seemed to arrest them both, hanging for a second before Harry mumbled: 'Why are _you_ here anyways?'

'Hermione didn't tell you?' Malfoy seemed inordinately pleased with that fact as he stared at Harry unblinkingly.

Seeing Harry's raised eyebrows, he elaborated: 'I wanted- never mind that-'

'Can you just explain-'

'Fine-Fine- I'll start from the beginning. The Key. That's the instrument Granger created working with the Unspeakables,' Harry looked on amazed as he heard the tinge of admiration in Malfoy's voice.

'I didn't study the mechanics exactly, but it worked on affinity basis. The Key needed three magical affinities. One to focus on you, that was Granger, one to bring us back to the right time, that was me and one to hold us together during the journey, that was Weasley. The younger you were the higher the affinity so that erased all the MoM workers including the Unspeakables. Ron Weasley had the lowest readings on the scale with the Weaselette not much higher.' Malfoy didn't seem able to keep a smile off his face at that memory. 'That Loony Lovegood girl had the highest readings, but apparently they were too high, would have stuck us wherever you were with no chance of coming back. Out of the rest of the volunteers, Granger had the highest usable readings. It was convenient since her ...parents are still memory charmed in Australia.'

'George...volunteered?'Harry asked hesitantly.

Draco snorted, 'George has been rounding off the last of the-' He winced slightly, 'Death Eaters with the Ministry Aurors since you've gone. He was the first one to test it, tolerable readings but his parents forbid him. They changed their mind after his reckless stunts with the Aurors. They were actually hoping this was going to keep him safe.' He elaborated for Harry's sake, 'Granger 's been spouting Muggle psychology books to me every time the plebeian irritates me too much. It includes words like survivor's guilt and a death wish.

'But what about you? Don't tell me you came out of the love you hold for me deep in your heart.' Harry managed to croak, rocking himself on the balls of his feet, his eyes determinedly fixed on the lake before them. Oddly, Malfoy did not immediately respond with a barbed comment. Harry stopped swinging, looking carefully at his seven year school nemesis. He froze under the intense look in those silver eyes.

'They're in Azkaban. My parents are in Azkaban. The only reason they haven't been Kissed is because of my mother. She told them she saved your life. I trust her words. I need your testimony. That's why I need you back.

* * *

So finally, you have some of the reasons and mechanics of the whole thing. The Boggart thing might have been stretched beyond it's usual capabilities but I'll provide more explanations. Hope there wasn't too much angst and the reactions were remotedly realistic, I was listening to Two Steps From Hell- After The Fall while writing this, so it might sound better while listening to the soundtrack.

Now, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a Fanfiction writer in possession of large amounts of reviews must be in want to write more. We are at the beginning of the end, so off you go, reviews, I have two more weeks before uni begins and I am going to try my best to give you the completed story ASAP but reviews help. Trust Me.

Finally, I wish an Eid Mubarak to those of you who celebrate it (or those who have family that celebrate it, which is great because then you get presents at Christmas and at Eid XD) and a miserable back to school/university/work/retirement to all of you.


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